Guidance was issued to the Armed Forces to instruct service personnel to not say “crippled by debt” or “blind drunk”, in order to prevent offence.
Despite being called ‘woke nonsense’ by some, the Ministry of Defence maintained that its Inclusive Language Guide 2021 is a practical toolkit’ for personnel to understand why certain words and phrases are hurtful or not inclusive.
The Mail raised concerns on Sunday and revealed that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had pulled the document of 30 pages.
MoD sources confirmed last night that the guidance – which advised that ‘not all women are biologically female’ – was being revised.
Senior insiders claimed that Wallace wasn’t satisfied with it, and the MoD was taking it down. However, the source claimed that the new version would still be available because of criticisms over the conduct of Armed Forces personnel.
Peter Bone from Tory was the Tory MP and had asked Mr Wallace to destroy it. However, Bone demanded information about why it had been produced by the MoD.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary (pictured), withdrew Inclusive Language Guide hours after being called “woke nonsense” by critics
This guide was produced by MoD’s Diversity and Inclusion Directorate. It denies that it is a ‘police language’ or restricts your individual style of communication. However, the document was designed to assist staff in speaking more clearly, accurately, and respectfully.
However, there were some suggestions that caused anger, such as the advice for soldiers and sailors to avoid ignoring their pleas in case they offended disabled personnel.
According to the section “Woman or Female”, these terms’mean different thing but are often interchangeably used.”
It is important to remember that not all women are biologically feminine. Therefore, the confusion of “female” with “woman” erases the identity of gender nonconforming individuals and members of trans communities. SAS veteran James Deegan said it was “woke nonsense”.
A source from the MoD said that the MoD took the decision to review the document over the course of several weeks. They also added: “There’s a need for a guide.” The Defence Secretary was unhappy about the current method and the insufficient consultation before publishing.
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE : After being criticized, the MoD has been revising its inclusive language guide
Last night, Mr Bone expressed his delight at Mr Wallace’s intervention. However, he criticized the guidance. He said that everyone should be aware of what language is being used, however it was absurd for the MoD even to create such a guide.
“Whatever they might say, this political correctness is maddening and has become woke nonsense.
‘The average person in the street or on the Clapham omnibus will simply not understand why the MoD has to waste time – and no doubt money – producing this rubbish. It doesn’t matter what we tell the brave, brilliant service men and women.
“We need to teach them how they can defend themselves during conflict or when protecting us.” This absurd document could be shredded by the Defence Secretary.
Pictured in the MoD Guide: The pride flag of sailors is carried at London’s parade.
“Careless and unconsidered language could categorise, stereotype”: British Council urges employees to steer clear of ‘Brits’ and ‘The Queen’s English’.
BY CHRISHASTINGS ARTS CORRESPONDENT – MAIL ON SUNDAY
The British Council’s goal is to help the country reach the global stage. However, it has asked its staff to refrain from using the terms ‘Brits’ or ‘the Queen’s English’.
The taxpayer-funded body, which will receive £189 million from the Foreign Office this year, has issued employees with a ‘non-discriminatory’ guide that states: ‘Careless, uninformed or ill-considered use of language can categorise, marginalise, exclude or stereotype.’
According to the document, using terms such as “British English” or “Queen’s English” is considered problematic because it suggests that some varieties of English may be more accurate or have greater significance than others.
The term “native English speaker” should be avoided as it is often used to refer to the USA, UK and Australia and discriminates against non-native speakers.
The document – obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information legislation – advises against the use of the word ‘Brits’ to describe people from the UK, ‘as the term generally does not include people from Northern Ireland’.
Because it “downplays and trivializes the hurt and offense caused” in some circumstances, even ‘politically right’ can be frowned upon.
The taxpayer-funded body will receive £189 million from the Foreign Office this year. Pictured by Liz Truss (Foreign Secretary)
In the meantime, anyone remarking on the “color scheme is insane” or “they had a fitting” shouldn’t be allowed due to their mental health connotations.
It is also suggested that readers use terms such as “lower-income nation, middle-income state or fragile and affected state” instead of “developing country”. The guide suggests that they avoid using the term ‘guys”, which is often associated with men, and could be perceived to exclude women. You can also use ‘friends,’ ‘team’ and ‘everyone’ as alternatives.
More than 100 countries have offices. Its website states that it promotes ‘connections between the UK and other nations through art, culture, education, and the English language.
Screenwriter and novelist Julian Fellowes criticised the guidance, saying: ‘The British Council should be encouraging people not to take offence when no offence is intended – in other words, the exact opposite of what they are doing here.’
The British Council spokeswoman stated that the guide is merely advisory and not prescriptive. She added: “We are proud to have done so much in promoting the UK around the globe. We reached over 791 million people worldwide last year, and it’s important that the language we use is representative of this diverse audience.
Elle added that the organisation is committed to inclusion as a whole. This guide will help our colleagues all over the world achieve this goal.
More than 100 countries have offices. The council’s website says it fosters “connections, understanding, and trust between people from the UK, other countries, through arts, culture, education and English language” (stock photo).