A national news story ridiculing a “new” guide at Wokingham Borough Council has been revealed as being based on internal guidance notes from 2021.
The Daily Mail, The Sun and GB News have published a story which claimed the council has “banned” the term “hard-working families” because it could “offend the jobless” and make them feel “undeserving.”
The stories also claimed the council had told its staff to refrain from using the words “blacklist” and “whitewash” for fear the terms could be seen as being racist.
The story, which first appeared online on Monday and in print on Tuesday, also suggested the instructions were part of a “new inclusive language guide.”
It quoted Free Speech Union chief Toby Young, who said: “Of course, it would be Wokingham Borough Council that came up with this.
“I expect the next step will be to delete the last two syllables of their name so it becomes Woke Borough Council.”
A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council told Wokingham Today: “We are committed to including everybody in the way we communicate – which is a perfectly reasonable position for a local council to take.
“The internal guide referred to was produced in 2021, and does not tell staff what language to use.
“It specifically states that it is ‘.. not a prescribed list of terms that can and cannot be used, and that staff should use judgment, consider context and circumstances, and prioritise clear communication.’
Wokingham Today has contacted the Free Speech Union to confirm if they were aware the document was four years old, and that it was produced under a previous administration.
