Latest news with #inclusive language
Telegraph
an hour ago
- General
- Telegraph
Labour council tells staff to stop calling parents ‘mother and father'
A Labour-run council has instructed staff to stop using the words 'mother' and 'father ' to refer to parents. Officials from Merton Council, in south-west London, say 'caregivers' is more appropriate as it does not make assumptions about a children's biological parents. The guidance is contained in a 27-page inclusive language guide compiled by the equality, diversity and inclusion team to encourage the use of 'gender-neutral' and 'person-centred' language. Other 'tips and suggested language' include avoiding gendered phrases such as 'man, mankind and workmanship' and instead saying, 'humans, humankind and quality of work or skills'. The guide adds that descriptive words in general – including references to race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or age – are off the table unless they are 'relevant and valid'. In the section relating to age, the guide advises that staff 'avoid general terms as these imply that people of certain age groups or generations are a homogenous group, failing to recognise people's individuality'. Rather than 'old' or 'young', staff are advised to say 'mature individual', 'elderly person', or 'young person'. The council has even suggested banning the phrases 'man the phones' and 'man-made' in favour of 'attend the phones' and 'artificial'. Under advice to 'respect the preferences' of gender-neutral people, staff leading workshops have been warned against opening with 'welcome, ladies and gentlemen', with 'welcome to friends and colleagues' recommended as an alternative. Lord Young of Acton, the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: 'I'm amazed that Merton council has time for this nonsense. 'I can only assume fly-tipping and potholes aren't a problem in Merton.' A council spokesman insisted: 'We aim to communicate with understanding and without making assumptions.' The council has previously come under fire as The Telegraph revealed it was the local authority with the highest percentage of minor roads in need of maintenance throughout England and Wales. According to analysis of Department for Transport (DfT) data, nearly 40 per cent of the borough's roads had potholes and were in need of major repairs. The data also showed the council had only fixed a mere 6.4 per cent of stretches needing attention.
The Sun
19 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
One of Britain's wokest councils has banned staff referring to parents as mum and dad
ONE of Britain's wokest councils has banned staff referring to parents as mum and dad. Officials say 'caregivers' is more appropriate. They also advise workers to avoid using the adjectives 'young' and 'old'. Merton Council in South London has warned its employees not to make assumptions about a child's biological parents. Bosses claim not saying the words 'mother' and 'father' helps to 'recognise diverse family formation'. The council's 27-page inclusive language guide — obtained by The Sun using Freedom of Information laws — also tells employees not to use 'young', 'old' or 'mature' for fear of being ageist. It also advises workers to use 'person-centred language' — and avoid gendered phrases such as 'man the desk'. The guidance, drawn up by the debt-stricken council's equality and diversity team, also warns: 'Avoid making assumptions about preferred names or nicknames without asking the individual first.' Free Speech Union boss Lord Toby Young said: 'I'm amazed that Merton Council has time for this nonsense. "I can only assume fly-tipping and potholes aren't a problem in Merton.' A council spokeswoman insisted: 'We aim to communicate with understanding and without making assumptions.' 1
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Getting on with police is white privilege, solicitors told
Getting along well with the police is an example of white privilege, solicitors have been told in new anti-racism guidance. The Law Society, which represents more than 200,000 solicitors in England and Wales, has published new advice to help legal professionals use 'more inclusive' language. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, branded it 'dangerous' and has written to the Law Society calling for it to be withdrawn. The guidance said racial categorisation is based on white supremacy and 'was developed as an attempt to prove biological superiority and maintain dominance over others'. It also said a person who is 'non-racist', rather than 'anti-racist', is 'a bystander of the problem', and urged people to apologise if they 'get terminology wrong and cause offence'. The term 'ethnic minority' is discouraged, with 'minoritised ethnic', 'racially minoritised' or 'global majority' suggested instead. Solicitors are also instructed to 'accept and acknowledge that ethnicity is an integral part of a person's identity and treat it as such'. The guidance also listed examples of white privilege, which it described as 'the innate advantage white people have within society solely based on their race'. The examples included 'people that look like you are largely represented within media', 'you can easily find products which match your skin tone and hair type', and 'your history is a part of the curriculum'. It also listed 'you generally have a positive relationship with the police' as an example. Mr Jenrick said the guidance promoted 'dangerous ideas' and that the organisation should be 'colour-blind and merit-based'. He said it runs contrary to 'the principle of equal treatment' and 'seeks to divide people on the basis of race and ethnicity'. 'It is unacceptable for the Law Society to promote this kind of ideology, particularly as other legal bodies back away from these ideas,' Mr Jenrick said in a letter to Law Society president Richard Atkinson. 'I urge you to withdraw this guidance immediately.' The Law Society has been contacted for comment. It comes after a row over new guidance directing judges to consider the lives of offenders from ethnic minority and other backgrounds before sentencing. Opponents claimed the changes could lead to a 'two-tier justice system' in which people from minority groups are treated more leniently. The guidance, which the Sentencing Council argued would ensure courts had comprehensive information to decide on an appropriate punishment, was later abandoned after ministers tabled legislation to override it.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Robert Jenrick wants Law Society to withdraw its ‘race and ethnicity' guidance
Robert Jenrick has demanded the Law Society withdraw new guidance that he claimed 'seeks to divide people on the basis of race and ethnicity'. The shadow justice secretary has written to the body, which represents solicitors across England and Wales, complaining about new advice aimed at promoting the use of inclusive language by legal professionals. The guidance says that racial categorisation is based in white supremacy, and 'was developed as an attempt to prove biological superiority and maintain dominance over others'. Mr Jenrick said these were 'dangerous ideas' and that society should be 'colour-blind and merit-based'. He claimed the guidance runs contrary to 'the principle of equal treatment' and 'seeks to divide people on the basis of race and ethnicity'. 'It is unacceptable for the Law Society to promote this kind of ideology, particularly as other legal bodies back away from these ideas,' Mr Jenrick said in a letter to Law Society president Richard Atkinson. 'I urge you to withdraw this guidance immediately.' The Law Society has been contacted for comment. It comes after a row over new guidance directing judges to consider the lives of offenders from ethnic minority and other backgrounds before sentencing. Opponents claimed the changes could lead to a 'two-tier justice system' in which people from minority groups are treated more leniently. The guidance, which the Sentencing Council argued would ensure courts had comprehensive information to decide on an appropriate punishment, was later abandoned after ministers tabled legislation to override it. The Law Society's guide is separate, and its stated intention is to help solicitors 'be more inclusive with the language we use'.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jenrick demands Law Society withdraw ‘race and ethnicity' guidance
Robert Jenrick has demanded the Law Society withdraw new guidance that he claimed 'seeks to divide people on the basis of race and ethnicity'. The shadow justice secretary has written to the body, which represents solicitors across England and Wales, complaining about new advice aimed at promoting the use of inclusive language by legal professionals. The guidance says that racial categorisation is based in white supremacy, and 'was developed as an attempt to prove biological superiority and maintain dominance over others'. Mr Jenrick said these were 'dangerous ideas' and that the society should be 'colour-blind and merit-based'. He claimed the guidance runs contrary to 'the principle of equal treatment' and 'seeks to divide people on the basis of race and ethnicity'. 'It is unacceptable for the Law Society to promote this kind of ideology, particularly as other legal bodies back away from these ideas,' Mr Jenrick said in a letter to Law Society president Richard Atkinson. 'I urge you to withdraw this guidance immediately.' The Law Society has been contacted for comment. It comes after a row over new guidance directing judges to consider the lives of offenders from ethnic minority and other backgrounds before sentencing. Opponents claimed the changes could lead to a 'two-tier justice system' in which people from minority groups are treated more leniently. The guidance, which the Sentencing Council argued would ensure courts had comprehensive information to decide on an appropriate punishment, was later abandoned after ministers tabled legislation to override it. The Law Society's guide is separate, and its stated intention is to help solicitors 'be more inclusive with the language we use'.
