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Liam O'Dell
Feb 08, 2023
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Government departments can be a bit of a mouthful, and now we’ve got four brand new ones to wrap our heads around – with the creation of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Business and Trade; Department for Culture, Media and Sport (ditching the ‘Digital’); and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
According to a Downing Street press release, the new departments will “ensure the right skills and teams are focussed on the prime minister’s five promises: to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats”.
As for the ministers, former international trade secretary Kemi Badenoch is now heading up BaT, ex-housing minister Lucy Frazer is the new culture secretary at DCMS (yes, the initialism still works), and her predecessor Michelle Donelan is the new secretary of state over at SIT.
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Grant Shapps, meanwhile, has gone from business secretary to secretary of state at… DESNZ? DESNEZ? DESANEZ?
Not only that, but how on earth would you even pronounce any of these?
No idea. And it seems many Twitter users are wondering just exactly how you’re supposed to pronounce and abbreviate the department, too:
\u201cDept Energy Security and Net Zero\nDESNZ- pronounced \u2018deeznuts\u2019.\nWell done everyone\u201d— emily bell (@emily bell) 1675775522
\u201cSo important question: DESNZ - how are we pronouncing this? Dessenz? Dee-senz? Dee-snez? Dess-no?\u201d— Tim Durrant (@Tim Durrant) 1675769294
\u201cPersonally I welcome the formation of DESNZ (pronounced *deez nuts*). https://t.co/8mBGHHPKHM\u201d— Matt Rooney (@Matt Rooney) 1675770071
\u201cTurns out I was dead wrong - DESNZ is the new game in town. Suggestions on how an earth to pronounce that very welcomed.\u201d— Josh Buckland (@Josh Buckland) 1675758583
\u201cDESNZ is the worst ministry name since DEXEU\u201d— ( \u0361\u00b0 \u035c\u0296 \u0361\u00b0) Karl \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@( \u0361\u00b0 \u035c\u0296 \u0361\u00b0) Karl \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1675768226
\u201cThe new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has to be known as DESNEZ, surely.\u201d— Sophie Morris (@Sophie Morris) 1675770327
Unhelpfully, searching for ‘DESNZ’ on Google gets you random social media channels and one New Statesman article, while ‘DESNEZ’ has the search engine thinking you want to buy Disney merchandise or subscribe to Disney+.
The department’s own website doesn’t seem to make a decision on an abbreviation, either, at one point referring to its former department the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as BEIS, but not bothering to do the same for its successor.
The webpage reads: “The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will provide dedicated leadership focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries.
“This year, the department will focus on easing the cost of living and delivering financial security by bringing down energy bills and keeping them down - better insulating consumers from external impacts.
“Longer term objectives include ensuring properly functioning energy markets, coordinating net zero objectives across government and bringing external delivery expertise to bear on its portfolio of major projects.”
Mr Shapps hasn’t shed light on it either, and if BEIS wanted to change their Twitter handle to either @DESNZ or @DESNEZ, neither are available.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached by indy100 for comment.
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