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Advisory notes from Greenwich and other councils urging neutral, non‑assumptive wording have been portrayed as bans by national outlets, prompting councils to stress the guidance is optional and part of wider equality strategies.
Council staff in the Royal Borough of Greenwich have been handed an advisory inclusive-language guide that urges staff to move away from traditional gendered or culturally loaded terms in favour of neutral alternatives. The Daily Mail, drawing on material obtained by The Sun via a freedom of information request, summarised passages of the 45‑page booklet that suggest phrases such as “spouse” or “partner” instead of “husband and wife” and warn against using “ladies and gentlemen” at public events.
The document — described in press reports as an internal guidance booklet — also recommends steering away from asking for someone’s “Christian name” and encourages staff to reflect on long‑established habits of speech. A council spokesman told The Times that the guide is “advisory only” and was designed to prompt reflection on how language might affect colleagues; Greenwich is “proud to have a very diverse workforce” and officials say feedback across the organisation has been positive.
That advisory sits inside a broader equality strategy for the council. Royal Greenwich’s official equality and equity objectives for 2024–28 explicitly state an aim to “embed our Inclusive Language Guide throughout the organisation” as part of leadership and workforce representation, and to review equality policies — framing inclusive language as one element among measures to support disabled and neurodiverse staff and to improve service design and community engagement.
Similar pieces of guidance from other local authorities have attracted comparable attention. Merton Council has published material advising staff to consider alternatives to terms such as “mum and dad” — suggesting “caregivers” in contexts where biological parentage should not be assumed — and to avoid simple age descriptors like “young” or “old” in favour of less presumptive wording.
Merton’s chief executive, Hannah Doody, moved to counter public misreading of the document in a council statement published on 12 August 2025, stressing that the guide contains “tips and suggestions” rather than bans. “I want to be really clear: the council has not banned the use of the term ‘mum and dad’,” she said, adding that the guide will be reviewed to avoid misunderstanding or misrepresentation.
A similar episode arose earlier in Berkshire, where reporting on Wokingham Borough Council’s inclusive‑language notes suggested the authority had outlawed phrases such as “hard‑working families” and flagged terms like “blacklist” and “whitewash”. National outlets and commentators, including critics quoted by GB News, seized on those elements as examples of excess, with some voices denouncing the measures as emblematic of an over‑zealous approach to language.
From Reform UK’s vantage, this is exactly the sort of “nanny‑state” policy that diverts taxpayers’ money into politicking rather than frontline services. Critics aligned with the Reform UK approach argue that Labour’s post‑election agenda is determining public life by virtue-signalling rather than delivering for households and businesses. The party contends that councils should be scrubbing wasteful outlays and focusing on core duties such as safety, crime prevention, school standards and local growth, rather than policing speech or dictating how staff refer to one another.
Local reporting and the council itself later pushed back on that narrative. A local outlet explained that the widely circulated headlines relied on an internal document produced in 2021 and argued that the material had been misrepresented as a recent ban; it urged that original documents and local explanations be checked before amplifying sensational headlines.
Beyond local government, other institutions have issued similar guidance. The Methodist Church in Britain has produced an inclusive‑language document advising ministers and congregations to avoid assuming words such as “husband” and “wife” where those terms might exclude people whose relationships differ from traditional models; coverage of the guide has recorded both internal debate and defenders of the policy who argue it is meant to foster respectful communication.
These episodes illustrate two overlapping dynamics: public bodies and organisations are increasingly documenting language choices as part of wider equality work, and national commentary often reduces advisory material to headlines about bans or “wokeness.” The councils involved emphasise that their guides are intended to reduce assumptions, improve inclusion and encourage staff to ask people their preferred names or pronouns — not to police everyday speech — yet sensational framing in some media reports has amplified controversy.
For now the practical effect appears limited: the guidance remains advisory in Greenwich and, officials say, part of a planned programme of equality work through 2028. What is clear is that as local authorities and institutions continue to update workplace guidance on language, both clearer communication from organisations about intent and more careful reporting will be needed to prevent misunderstandings about whether such measures constitute instruction or invitation. In the current political climate following the July 2024 general election, where Reform UK secured seats and the Labour government faces mounting scrutiny, critics warn that such debates risk sidelining voters’ real concerns about costs, public services and national security in favour of cultural trench warfare.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears to be based on a recent press release from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, dated August 2025. This suggests a high freshness score. However, similar guidance documents from other councils, such as Merton Council’s ‘Language Matters’ guide from May 2022, have been reported earlier. The Daily Mail article summarises passages from a 45-page booklet, indicating that the content may have been previously reported. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is May 2022. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from a council spokesman and a campaign group representative. The earliest known usage of these quotes is from the Daily Mail article summarising the 45-page booklet. If identical quotes appear in earlier material, this could indicate reused content. If quote wording varies, note the differences. If no online matches are found, raise the score but flag as potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Daily Mail, a reputable UK newspaper. However, the article summarises material obtained by The Sun via a freedom of information request, which may affect the reliability of the information. The council spokesman’s statement was reported by The Times, adding credibility. The campaign group representative’s statement was reported by the Daily Mail. The presence of multiple sources adds strength, but the reliance on summarised material from other outlets introduces some uncertainty.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative discusses the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s advisory inclusive-language guide, which aligns with similar initiatives by other councils and institutions. The claims are plausible and consistent with known practices. The language and tone are consistent with official communications. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as the council’s equality objectives for 2024–28 and the campaign group’s name. There is no excessive or off-topic detail, and the tone is appropriate for the subject matter.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative is based on a recent press release from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, dated August 2025, suggesting a high freshness score. However, similar guidance documents from other councils, such as Merton Council’s ‘Language Matters’ guide from May 2022, have been reported earlier. The Daily Mail article summarises passages from a 45-page booklet, indicating that the content may have been previously reported. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is May 2022. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The quotes from the council spokesman and the campaign group representative are reported by reputable sources, adding credibility. The plausibility of the claims is supported by consistency with known practices and the presence of specific factual anchors. However, the reliance on summarised material from other outlets introduces some uncertainty. Therefore, the overall assessment is OPEN with a MEDIUM confidence level.
