Overview

• The 45-page inclusive language booklet advises staff to use gender-neutral terms such as “spouse” or “partner” and to avoid greeting audiences as “ladies and gentlemen.”
• The guide also recommends not asking for a “Christian name” and frames the advice as part of creating a more inclusive environment.
• The document, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, is an internal reference for roughly 5,000 Royal Borough of Greenwich employees.
• A council spokesman said the guide is advisory and intended to prompt reflection on word choice, and the council reports positive internal feedback.
• The publication drew criticism from commentators including the Free Speech Union’s Toby Young, and reporting highlights similar guidance or discussions at Merton, Wokingham and Sunderland councils.