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Laura Midgley on ITV's This Morning and in the BBC Radio Stoke Studio during
 a live phone-in on political correctness.

Dennis the Menace was "toned down" to avoid accusations of "gay-bashing"
15 September 2008

A long-running Beano editor has disclosed that the 70-year-old comic had to be significantly changed so as not to offend modern-day sensibilities.  Euan Kerr said that he stopped Dennis from menacing fellow character Walter the Softy because of fears that his behaviour appeared to endorse the violent bullying of homosexuals. But the DC Thomson veteran now feels the pendulum has swung too far in favour of political correctness and hopes there will be a return to the comic's anti-establishment roots.  He said: "I definitely felt a sense of responsibility in making sure the characters did nothing that was easily imitable. The evidence is that the kids understand a comic is a comic and that it isn't anything like real life.  But the relationship between Dennis and Walter was always one that worried me. There were accusations from certain quarters that it was a little like gay-bashing. This obviously wasn't the way we intended it to be perceived."

John Midgley, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, was dumbfounded by the idea of the Beano fuelling anti-gay sentiment. He said: "For 70 years the Beano has been read by children and they do not look at comics through politically correct eyes.  It's a great shame that in recent years this national institution has been watered down to placate a tiny minority of humourless, do-gooding adults."

Matthew Jarron, the curator of a hugely successful Beano exhibition at Dundee University, claimed the decision to tone down the spike-haired menace's behaviour was "daft". He said: "I'd be absolutely amazed if any child ever interpreted Dennis's behaviour towards Walter and the softies as gay-bashing.

"The softies had their own strange way of life where they liked skipping and picking flowers and doing very girly things. I'm sure it was never intended by the writers - and I'm sure it was never picked up by the children - that this could somehow be linked to homosexuality."

Click here for the story in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper and here for the story in The Times.

"Manning the phones" and "man on the street" deemed to be sexist phrases by council
26 August 2008

Chichester District Council in West Sussex has issued a language guide banning traditional phrases like “man on the street”.  The guide believes that this phrase causes offence to women because it is based on the assumption that the world is male and makes the views or work of women invisible.  Staff and members of the district council have been told that they should instead talk about “the general public”.  According to officials who produced the guide, it is a positive and less offensive alternative.  Also out is the commonly used term “manning the switchboard”, which is condemned as sexist.  They insist “staffing” or “running the switchboard” must be used instead.  John Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness said, "Yet again we find another local council acting in a patronising and politically correct manner.  Surely they should trust people in their jobs instead of wanting to abandon common or garden phrase".  Ann Widdecombe MP said, "As a grumpy old woman I think the man on the Clapham omnibus won’t care tuppence.”

Click here for the story in the Daily Express.

Cakes are destroyed instead of being eaten in the name of health and safety
25 August 2008

The Scottish Women's Rural Institute have banned the consumption of cakes and scones entered in competitions, insisting that all baked goods are destroyed immediately following judging.  An EU directive which states that food produced for display purposes, containing fresh ingredients such as eggs, butter and cream, should not be eaten to avoid possible food poisoning outbreaks and has been enshrined in law as part of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations. 

Click here to see the story in The Times and here to read a piece on this with many more examples of PC in the Scottish Daily Record.

Police refuse to accept application from student who spent 18 months in Australia citing "fairness" to non-British applicants
23 August 2008

A student who had always planned to join the police has been refused a job because she spent 18 months working abroad.  Samantha Sheldon, 23, returned home to Astley, near Leigh, in May and applied to Greater Manchester Police for a civilian job as a project assistant as the force was not currently recruiting for police officers.  However, she was told that because of Home Office and Greater Manchester Police vetting policy, she could not be considered because of 'non-discrimination and fairness' rules despite having done work experience with the force when she was 16. It said: "In all cases, non-British applicants must have resided within the UK for a three-year period immediately prior to their vetting application for a non-police personal vetting clearance.  To ensure that vetting is carried out in a fair and non-discriminatory way, the residency requirement also applies to UK residents who have been absent for an extended period during the preceding three years."

Click here for the story in the Manchester Evening News.

ITV boss attacks tick box culture in TV
23 August 2008

Giving the annual MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival Peter Fincham warned that a PC 'box ticking' mentality was in danger of suffocating much-loved entertainment programmes and threatening to make TV a joyless experience.

The executive also accused Ofcom of imagining 'television as a form of social engineering' and not living in the real world.

He said, 'Television is a creative medium: it needs to be free to be creative.  Its unique power lies in its popularity and, although I have great respect for those who regulate it, the medicine they are ministering may be as likely to kill it as cure it.  It is not a branch of the education service. Wrap it up in the woolly words of political correctness and the short-term illusion of warmth will soon give way to the reality of suffocation.'

Click here for the story in the Daily Mail.

Church pulpit identified as "dangerous"
10 August 2008

A church in the Wyke Regis area of Weymouth, Dorset, which dates from 1172 has been forced to draw up guidelines for preachers who might be injured while climbing the seven spiral stone steps to the pulpit.  Despite there being no record of any injured clergy, council officials warned that the pulpit was ‘dangerous’ and suggested the addition of a handrail.  Click here for the story in the Daily Mail.

Mr T Snickers ad cancelled after human rights group complains of homophobia
28 July 2008

A chocolate bar advertisement featuring Mr T (who played BA Baracus in the popular 1980s show The A Team) has been taken off the air after it was accused of being ‘homophobic’. In the Snickers commercial, Mr T pulls up in a truck alongside a man exercising in tight yellow shorts and shouts: ‘Speed walking. I pity you fool. You are a disgrace to the man race. It’s time to run like a real man.’  The U.S. lobby group Human Rights Campaign criticised Mars – which makes Snickers – for condoning ‘the notion that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is a group of second class citizens and that violence against GLBT people is not only acceptable but humorous’.  A spokesman for Mars said: ‘This ad is the second in a series of UK Snickers ads featuring Mr T, which are meant to be fun and have been positively received in the UK .  However, we understand that humour is highly subjective, and it is never our intention to cause offence. Accordingly, we have pulled the Mr T speedwalker ad globally.’  The move was roundly condemned by gay people in the UK with the following comments on the complaint:  

'I'm gay and I found the ad hilarious. If you make the connection speed walking and homosexuality then you just perpetuating the stereotypes about gay men.'

'As a (British) gay man myself, I am fed up with the ultra-politically correct stance of organisations [such as yours] seeking out homophobia in places where none clearly exists."

'Your entire approach actually damages the efforts of those of us who live in the real world to make any kind of headway in the fight against real homophobia - you know, the one that's responsible for people being kicked unconscious outside nightclubs, or driven to suicide through bullying.'

'Why people haven't anything better to do in their life than sending complaint emails?'

Click here for the full story in the Daily Mail and here for Lucy Mangan's take in the Guardian.

Officer who referred to "Black Man's Wheels" demoted
28 July 2008

A senior police officer has been demoted for referring to a little model BMW presented to him as a leaving present as "Black Man's Wheels".  Chris Pretty, who had previously headed a very successful unit dealing with black on black crime and had also been an army captain, was forced to endure a misconduct panel and was subsequently demoted from Superintendent to Chief Inspector after 2 officers at the party complained that he had made "racist" comments.  Click here for the full story in the Daily Mail.

Scotland's athletic body says runners should not use ipods on tracks as they are "potentially dangerous"
27 July 2008

The new list of "Track Etiquette" has been drawn up and adopted by Scottish Athletics, the national governing body for track and field events.  It provides a point-by-point guide to basic rules which must be adhered to and states: "Don't use headphones or your mobile phone on the track or infield. This is potentially dangerous and may stop you from hearing other track users or safety announcements. Treat the track and infield like you would a road. Look both ways and make sure it is safe to cross at all times."  It also warns: "The steeplechase water jump is not a swimming pool and the jumps pit is not a beach. Similarly, the high jump and pole vault mats are for landing on, not for resting or playing."  Co-founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness Laura Midgley said the code could be counter-productive.  She said: "This is yet another example of the nanny state edging its way into our lives. People are quite capable of using their commonsense and don't need a Green Cross Code to realise there might be runners on a running track.  I much prefer exercising to music. Music spurs you on and helps keep you going and if you prevent people from doing as much exercise as possible then you are ignoring the "Health" element of the phrase "Health and Safety" which is so often the case.  Earlier this year Radcliffe revealed that she listens to the American R&B star Kanye West when she is training.

Click here for the full story in Scotland on Sunday.

The Association of Chief Police Officers issues new rules on the use of police dogs to avoid "causing offence"
22 July 2008

The police officer in charge of overseeing new guidelines being issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on the use of police dogs has said that the police need to take steps to "avoid offending people". He went on to say "This might include different categories of people such as those with a fear of dogs, for example, or asthma sufferers who may be sensitive of dog hair".  Many ordinary police officers were, however, concerned that this would not only make their jobs even more difficult but could lead to expensive compensation claims.  PC Mike Dermody, a former handler with Greater Manchester Police, said:" I have never encountered an incident when we have offended someone" and a police sergeant said, "The whole point of police dogs is to frighten people rigid, at least those who have just committed a crime and would otherwise make a clean getaway."  Click below for the full story in the Express.

Don't say "chav" as it is a highly offensive and dangerous term says the Fabian Society
19 July 2008

Tom Hampton, editorial director of the Fabian Society, says the word chav is "sneering and patronising and – perhaps most dangerous – it is distancing, turning the 'chav' into the kind of feral beast that exists only in tabloid headlines".  He says that far from being a means of describing someone's fashion sense and attitude he believes it "betrays a deep and revealing level of class hatred" and that it is "middle class hatred of the white working class, pure and simple."  Laura Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: "I've heard the argument that this is a voiceless group we're offending and they need to be protected. Well I can think of plenty of groups of people who are voiceless but I don't think chavs are among them.  There are words that are really socially unacceptable and offensive, but I don't think chav is the worst thing you can call someone and I've honestly never heard anyone complain about being called a chav. In fact, a lot of people seem to want to be one. It's like being part of a gang.  Also, what about calling someone a toff? Isn't that offensive? Shouldn't that be banned too, on the grounds it's singling out someone because of their class?"  Click here for the full story in The Scotsman or here for the story on ABC News.

Guardian contributor's challenge to those who are PC
19 July 2008

In a departure from tradition, The Guardian have published an article by Ally Fogg on 19 July 2008 which actually opposes political correctness.  Click here to read the article on The Guardian's website.

Ban on football competition results being published causes outrage
17 July 2008

An FA decision to ban junior leagues from publishing the results of their matches as well as tables could have a negative effect on the future of the national game according to football managers.  Andy Clayton, who runs the Alvechurch Lions' Under-9s team in Redditch, said it was a shame the governing body had taken the decision, adding it would not be something done in other countries.  He said: "The first aim of Alvechurch Lions is the development of young players.  It is not the attitude of the club to win at all costs, but it is important that youngsters learn to lose as well as win.  I think maybe it's too politically correct and it certainly wouldn't be something done in, say, Australia."  The new rules will come into force in September for teams with players under eight.  It is hoped it will prevent young players being put under too much pressure at such an early age.  But Andy said competition was part of life and was introduced to children in other areas.  "Life is competitive and it's no different from when children start school and they are put in groups for reading and writing," he added.  He also said he thought taking away the competitive edge from youngsters could in time have a bad impact on the performance of national sides.  If the emphasis is placed too much on just taking part, then he said it could erode the winning mentality that national sides needed in order to be successful.  Under-8s teams will also be prevented from competing in knock-out football tournaments where cups and medals are handed out to winners.

To read the whole article in the Redditch Standard click here.

Philip Davies MP questions BBC over its diversity targets
15 July 2008

From the newly released minutes of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee you can see the exchanges between Philip Davies MP (Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness and Michael Lyons (BBC Chairman) and Mark Thompson (Director General of the BBC).

Philip Davies:  Following on about reach and Anthony Jay’s article, I have noticed in your Report that you have got a triumphant section on diversity where you proudly announce that the number of ethnic minority staff has gone up from 9.9% to 10.9% in the last two years and the number of disabled staff has gone up from 2.8% to 4.7%.  Is this a conscious policy of the BBC?

Sir Michael Lyons:  It has to be, does it not?  Can I take us back to the need to serve all audiences and some of the discussion about those communities which we are not yet serving adequately.  Certainly the view of the Trust is that we will make faster progress in responding to the needs of different communities if those communities are appropriately reflected amongst the workforce of the BBC, so it is an aspiration and this is something to celebrate.

Philip Davies:  What is the aspiration then?  What percentage is the aspiration for the BBC?  At what point will the BBC say we now have got a sufficient amount of people from ethnic minorities and disability on our books? 

Sir Michael Lyons:  Of course this is not a static target, although Mark and Zarin might want to talk more about the targets that are set here, it is a dynamic situation, not only in terms of the changing complexion of the UK population but of course it will also be shaped by the BBC’s intention to have more of its activity based outside London. 

Mr Thompson:  I think it is also worth saying that what diversity is about is trying to draw on the talents from every part of the society that the BBC serves and to try to reflect the lives and concerns of people from all sections of the community we serve, and ethnicity is important but it is only one part of that story, so in other words different parts of the United Kingdom, different groups in terms of age, ethnicity, faith, and so on, and how we employ people and the balance of people we employ is one lever.  It is something that people pay a lot of attention to, I understand that, but it is only part of the story of trying to make sure that the BBC is reflecting the modern UK, modern Britain.  I would be the first person to say we are not there yet and I think the BBC has to ask itself constantly whether or not it is really reflecting the people to whom it is broadcasting.  For example, one of the things we are doing is moving a significant proportion of the BBC out of London.  We are trying to boost investment in network television production and other forms of production in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  We are building a big new broadcast centre in Salford, in the north of England.  This is all part of trying to get closer to the whole UK and also to try and draw on all of the talents in a way which I think will leave the BBC with better programmes.  What it must not be about is a politically correct determination to hit any one target against one measure.

Philip Davies:  That is clearly what it is because you just said how important that it was a focus of the BBC to increase numbers.  In your section on diversity it only mentions about black and minority ethnic proportion and disabled; it does not mention any of the other stuff that you have been banging on about in this section on diversity.  It seems to me that the proportions are above the population as a whole already before you have even started to increase them. Dr Samir Shah, one of your directors said recently that “the Corporation’s new arrangements about diversity means that there are now disproportionate numbers of ethnic minorities on our BBC screens”, so is this not really all about political correctness rather than reflecting the country as a whole?

Sir Michael Lyons:  I would want to say that Samir Shah’s views are his own and he would be best interrogated on those on another occasion.  In terms of the work the BBC Trust has been doing, there are still concerns in the different minority communities about the extent to which they are appropriately reflected in the BBC’s output, as indeed there are for the wider communities outside of London and the South East. 

Mr Thompson:  Although it is true we have mentioned people from different experiences, backgrounds and opinions - it mentions women and gender therefore as well as ethnicity and disability - when we develop our plans in this we try and focus on diversity of every kind.  Just to reassure you when we are casting and when we are thinking about on-screen talent, the quality and talent of the people we employ is the most important thing and we do not go for artificial targets.  Although it is an important debate, and I welcome Samir’s contribution to the debate, I do not agree with Samir that there is a political correctness bias in the way we cast nor, I have to say, are we getting complaints from the public there is such a bias.

Philip Davies:  Are all jobs given on merit irrespective of people’s race, sex, religion or background?  Can you give that categorical assurance?

Mr Thompson: Yes.

This is not the Campaign's experience of the selection process and certainly something we will be monitoring closely in the future!  Click here for the story in the Daily Mail about the meeting and it is interesting to note their journalist's observations on the final question as follows: "He might believe this but I personally know it not to be true. Oh well."

Muslim body attacks call for Sharia law in Britain
10 July 2008

Philip Davies (Shipley) in Parliament in Business Questions in the House of Commons: May we have a debate on the Lord Chief Justice’s politically correct comments on sharia law, particularly in relation to today’s comments from the Centre for Islamic Pluralism? It states:

The Lord Chief Justice’s comments have done an awful lot of damage to community cohesion and to the principle of integration in this country. May we have a debate so that we can undo the damage that his comments have done?

Ms Harman: If the hon. Gentleman wants to raise that matter further, he should look to Ministry of Justice oral questions, which take place next Tuesday.

The Centre for Islamic Pluralism also report on their website: "Two thirds of UK Muslims do not want Sharia law in Britain.  Muslim community leaders warned that any parallel legal system would be a “disaster”, especially for Muslims. The Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chief Justice were attacked for “interfering” after both backed aspects of the Islamic legal system being incorporated into British law."

Click here to read the comments as recorded in Parliament's Hansard.

Sniffer dogs to wear Muslim bootees
6 July 2008

Guidelines are being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.

Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. “We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people’s homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it,” Acpo said.

John Midgley, co-founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: “The police are in effect being overly sensitive to potential criminals and not being sensitive enough to the public at large who need to be protected. These sort of things have a counter-productive effect because they cause huge friction between different communities.”

Click here to read the full article in the Sunday Times, here to read the story in the Daily Mail and here to read the story in the Daily Express.

Additional Note - Ian Hamilton has sent the following contribution to the Campaign: "Have just returned from 4 years in muslim Brunei. Search/sniffer dogs are used at all high-profile public events where his Majesty the (muslim) Sultan, his family and his Ministers are in attendance - the handlers are non-muslims but the dogs are used without restrictions to ensure no threat exists."

Ali Miraj says the white working classes are being ignored
3 July 2008

In an article on the blog Conservative Home, former aspiring MP Ali Miraj said he felt that the white working classes in the country were being ignored.  He also mentioned that he understood why many were turning to the BNP for answers saying, "It is, in my view, a perfectly rational reaction by a growing proportion of the white working class who feel marginalised by a political elite that would rather ignore them."  Had this been said by someone who was white the reaction would have been predictable but this piece has not elicited the usual claims of racism naturally!  Of course by not commenting on these remarks, those who normally tend to shout the loudest against others just prove what racists they actually are as it clearly demonstrates that they are the ones who treat people differently based on their race.  To read the whole well thought out and well written contribution by Ali Miraj in pdf format click here.

Police apologise for dog advert after claims it may upset some Muslims
2 July 2008

The police in Tayside apologised for any offence caused by a card which was distributed to give a new non-emergency telephone number to locals after Mohammed Asif, a Dundee City councillor who sits on the Tayside Joint Police Board, said that he was concerned that the card had not been welcomed by all communities.  He said, "The police should have understood.  People who have shops just will not put up the postcard. But the police have said to me that it was simply an oversight and they did not seek to offend or upset."  He went on to say, "Since then the police have explained that it was an oversight on their part and that if they had seen it was going to cause upset they would not have done it.

To read the whole story in the Daily Telegraph click here.

In an interview with the Scotsman, Mahmud Sarwar Rathor (trustee of the Scottish Islamic and Cultural Centre and Dundee's Dura Street mosque) said that the police should not have apologised because the issue should never have been raised with them and that he can find nobody who is offended by the dog picture apart from Mohammed Asif.

Click here to read the full interview in the Scotsman.

Equality announcement not so equal
26 June 2008

In the detail of the Equalities Bill, Harriet Harman has set out the Government's position on new laws surrounding so-called "positive action" and "positive discrimination".  Click here or the front page above to read the story in the Daily Express.  As details of the Bill were announced in Parliament today, Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness said, "This Bill has nothing to do with equality. It is the most politically correct Bill ever, proposed by the most politically correct Minister that this country has ever seen. If she were so bothered about equality, she should have enshrined in law the fact that people should be given a job and candidates selected on merit—irrespective of their gender and irrespective of their racial background. How on earth can she justify in an equalities Bill a provision that allows people to be selected solely on the basis of their skin colour or their gender? That is completely and utterly outrageous. The party that, as the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) said, introduced anti-discrimination laws is now reintroducing discrimination into the workplace. How many of the Minister’s hand-wringing white male colleagues have offered to give up their seats in the House to make way for more women and more ethnic minority MPs?"

Senior Asian BBC chief says there are too many non-whites on TV
26 June 2008

Dr Samir Shah, a non-executive director at the BBC, accused the corporation and others of rampant tokenism in their programming.  He claimed a 'tick-box approach' to showing non-whites had left minority viewers feeling embarrassed and irritated.  He blamed a 'metropolitan, largely liberal, white, middle-class elite' for ensuring ethnic minority presence on-screen 'regardless of editorial imperatives'.  He cited research by Trevor Phillips, who heads the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which suggested that even ethnic minorities are slightly embarrassed by the 'plethora of brown faces they see on the screen'. Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness said, 'The BBC is absolutely riddled with a politically-correct culture. It does not do anyone any favours in the long run. Putting a token ethnic minority person into something just for the sake of it is political correctness which I don't support. True equality means it should be irrelevant what colour your are.'

Council bans the term "brainstorming" despite criticism from National Society for Epilepsy
19 June

The term 'Brainstorming' has been banned by Tunbridge Wells Council in case it offends epileptics or the mentally ill.  The council have sent hundreds of staff on training courses to teach them to adopt a new phrase - 'thought showers'.  Yet Margaret Thomas, of the National Society for Epilepsy, said: 'Brainstorming is a clear and descriptive phrase, and alternatives such as "thought shower" or "blue sky thinking" are ambiguous to say the least.  People with epilepsy are not so sensitive that anything with the word "brain" in it causes distress.  Any implication that the word "brainstorming" is offensive to people with epilepsy is taking political correctness too far.'

She added a recent survey conducted by the charity revealed 93 per cent of people with epilepsy did not find the term derogatory or offensive in any way.

Click here to read the full story in the Daily Mail.

Charity warns that political correctness is allowing abuse of children to continue
9 June 2008

According to the NSPCC, pressure to 'respect other cultures' has meant that nothing has been done to protect some victims in cases of abuse.  Police, social workers and health service staff were said to be so afraid of being labelled racist that they have failed to properly tackle allegations of abuse in Asian families and Asians responsible for violence against children used their culture and religion as a shield to cover and justify abuse.

NSPCC manager Saleha Islam said: 'Asian children and their mothers suffer the double injustice of a community that would rather save face than deal with domestic violence and a system that lacks cultural understanding and so hides behind political correctness.' 

Click here to read the article in the Daily Mail or click here to read the NSPCC.

Council told not to use the word "senior" in job adverts
28 May 2008

Pendle Council has been advised by that it should not use the word "senior" in advertising certain positions as it has connotations with older members of the population and may therefore be deemed discriminatory.  At a meeting of the council's Executive, Coun. Greaves described this decision by some "jobsworth" as "politically correct crap".  The local paper said that the word senior has nothing to do with a person's age when it comes to job descriptions. It is simply a way of describing the position requires someone to be in charge of a section and the people working in it.  The Executive sided with Coun. Greaves and rejected the advice regarding the wording of its advertisements, and the word "senior" will continue to be used when appropriate. Click here for the story in the local Pendle newspaper.

Students asked not to throw hats at their graduation
28 May 2008

Students at Anglia Ruskin University have been asked not to throw their hats in the air at their graduation in case the hats injure someone.  This follows one previous incident a few years ago which has only now led to the policy being changed.  Laura Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness said, "This is a tradition that dates right back and, in the scheme of things, the likelihood of being injured by a flying hat appears to be very low.  The students are far more likely to be injured on their way to and from the ceremony - especially if they are travelling in cars which are known to kill thousands of people every year - and so with this logic the whole ceremony should be cancelled!  We are getting to the stage where we want there to be zero risk in everything that we do and not only is this impossible to achieve but it makes life all the more dull as a consequence". Click here to read the story in the Cambridge News, here for the Daily Telegraph, here for the Times and here to read the story in the Daily Mail.

Fire brigade open days which excluded white men attract just 1 new ethnic minority recruit
27 May 2008

We covered a story in January which highlighted that Avon and Somerset Fire Brigade held 5 open days and banned white men from all but 1 of them.  This was done in the name of "positive action" which is legal in the UK. It now transpires that there was only 1 new ethnic minority recruit as a result.  Philip Davies, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said, 'This is an entirely predictable outcome,' he added. 'People try and flex their politically-correct muscles and at the end of the day it is a waste of time and money. Not only has this  -  no doubt well-meaning  -  initiative been totally misguided but it hasn't delivered the results. The only way we are ever going to have complete equality in the job market is to give people jobs based on merit, regardless of their race, religion, or sexual orientation.'  A serving firefighter said: “This has a very negative effect on everyone because when you see an ethnic firefighter you think they only got the job because of their origin. It’s not helpful to people from black and ethnic communities.”  Batook Pandya, director of Bristol-based charity Support Against Racist Incidents, also criticised the recruitment drive.  He said: “None of these open days should have been closed to white communities. I couldn’t give two hoots if they are white, black, Asian, male or female – they should be the best person for the job.” Click here for the story in the Daily Mail and here for the story in the Daily Express.

Road named after local historian criticised for not sounding very "pleasant"
26 May 2008

Gateshead Council were approached by a local resident who asked if the late Harry Letch, who was a local historian, could be remembered in a street name. When a development was completed it seemed the ideal opportunity.  Gateshead Council’s head of transport and highways Nick Clennett has now, however, said, "A resident of Letch Mews informed us of the distress caused when the name is misconstrued. We are reviewing it.”

Click here for the story in the Newcastle Chronicle.

England flag deemed "racist"
24 May 2008

A football fan in Wiltshire says police ordered him to remove an England flag from his car – because it could be deemed to be racist.   M r Smith, of Melksham, Wiltshire, said: “I honestly could not believe what the police officer was saying.  He wasn’t rude about it at all. He was just very matter-of-fact about the flag being racist and offensive to immigrants.”  Mr Smith, an avid England football fan, said he used the flag to cover up a new set of speakers, which he wanted to hide from would-be thieves.

To see the story in the Daily Express click here or in the Daily Star click here.

Latest racist job advertised
14 May 2008

The Environment Agency is offering another training contract along the lines of race.  The job in Tewkesbury - which was hit by very bad floods not so long ago - is being advertised in local papers and online.  The ethnic minority population of Tewkesbury is around 1.5% compared to a national average of around 8%!

To see the advert on the Environment Agency's website click here.

Rapist released as staff don't understand PC language
2 May 2008

A serial rapist serving a life sentence in a hospital's secure mental unit (who escaped for the second time in three years) was apparently able to do so as he was described as a "medium secure patient" and, when he was transferred to another hospital for treatment, staff did not understand the risk he posed.  The inquiry report into the incident concluded, "Consideration therefore is required as to how we portray or use common language whilst remaining sensitive to the patient's treatment needs."  Click here for the story in the Daily Mail. 

The Arts Council asks those applying for grants personal questions about their sexual orientation
4 April 2008

The collection of data has never been more intrusive and pointless than the latest request from the Arts Council to those applying for funding from the body.  There is a section on application forms which asks about the sexual orientation of those on the Board of the organisation and the justification for this is apparently so that the Arts Council can understand who their audience is.  They said, "We see diversity as broader than race, ethnicity, faith and disability."  Oscar-nominated actor Sir Ian McKellen, who is openly gay, said, "It sounds extraordinary. It shouldn’t be on a form. It’s quite inappropriate."  Vanessa Redgrave, the actress and human rights campaigner, said, "Everyone should put down ‘trisexual’, whoever you are. Britain has become the world’s leading population of trisexuals."  Maggi Hambling, the painter who describes herself as "queer", said, "It’s insidious, insulting and quite outrageous for the Arts Council to consider anyone’s sexual orientation of any kind to be their business. It appears to be somewhat Hitlerian in its suggestion that grants will be given if, among the applicants, there is a nice smattering of dykes and queers."  To read the whole story in the Times click here.  

Early Day Motion

Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on the Arts Council to stop this request for personal information and you can see the full EDM and the current MP signatories by clicking here. The motion reads as follows:

That this House deplores the Arts Council's decision to ask intrusive and irrelevant questions about the sexual orientation of those applying for grants; believes that this should be a private matter and not something that individuals should be asked to reveal; considers that sexual orientation should be completely irrelevant in modern day Britain; notes that the idea of putting people into stereotypical tick boxes is an example of political correctness which is opposed by 80 per cent. of the people in Britain in an ICM poll; urges the Arts Council to take serious note of the many objections raised by eminent actors and actresses who find this both offensive and insulting; and calls on the Arts Council to end the request for this highly personal information immediately.

Business Questions in the House of Commons

Philip Davies MP also raised this issue in the House of Commons with the following exchange with Harriet Harman on 3 April 2008 (link to Hansard source is here):

Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con): May we have a topical debate on political correctness at the Arts Council, in particular the subject of my early-day motion 1318, with regard to the Arts Council request that people should disclose their sexual orientation on the application form for funding.  I hope that the Leader of the House will agree with me that people’s sexual orientation should be a private matter, not something that public bodies ask to be disclosed before public money is given. May we have a debate on this important matter?

Gender equality in public procurement nonsense
1 April 2008

A question about gender equality was raised in Parliament as follows:

Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley) (Lab): What adaptations her Department has made to its public procurement policies and practices and its guidance to local authorities to take account of the gender equality duty. [197691]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Parmjit Dhanda): Communities’ procurement policy emphasises to practitioners and stakeholders the importance of focusing on a raft of social themes, including gender equality. Local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions, subject to their legal duties, including the duty of best value and public procurement law.

Thankfully, Sir Patrick Cormack was on hand to give his opinion on the subject too:

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire) (Con): Will the Minister accept that the politically correct gobbledegook to which we have just listened is incomprehensible to most people in this country? Will he assure me that the guidance will be written in English, and will he try to address the House in that language in future?

Click here to read the full exchange in the Hansard from the House of Commons.

Women's book prize is sexist - but nobody will do anything
18 March 2008

The Orange Prize for female authors has been criticised (rightly) for being sexist as men are not allowed to apply.  Whilst we at the Campaign believe that there are times when the separation of the sexes is better for both sides (e.g. sporting events such as running competitions and games of rugby etc etc) what is different about this prize is that there is no equivalent male prize and, if anyone dared to suggest such a thing, the entire force of the Equalities industry would be down on them like a ton of bricks.  So why is it OK to have a female-only competition when a male-only competition would be outlawed?  Surely this is sexist?  It is not as if there aren't any female authors around is it? But then, of course, sexism towards men doesn't really count in the eyes of the ever-growing Equalities industry because, surprise surprise, they are sexist themselves.  To read the views of male novelist, Tim Lott, on this subject click here.

Ice cream toppings a health and safety risk
31 January 2008

The Italian ice cream chain "Morellis" banned staff from putting toppings on customers' ice creams in case they slipped over them if they dripped off.  Instead customers received the cone with the topping in a separate pot to pour on themselves.

John Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said "What's the world coming to when you are not allowed to put a bit of chocolate sauce on a cone?  It's symptomatic of the compensation culture age in which we are living."

Click below to read the story in the Daily Express in pdf format or here for the story in the Daily Telegraph.

White men banned from fire brigade's open days
25 January 2008

Avon and Somerset Fire Brigade held 5 open days and banned white men from all but 1 of them.  This was done in the name of "positive action" which is legal in the UK.  Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: “This sort of thing just makes people’s blood boil and does more damage than good to race relations. How would people react if women and black people were banned from an open day?  I don’t care whether the fire service is only made up of ethnic minority women – as long as they are the best people at fighting fires.  If the Chief Fire Officer is so concerned, he should give up his job to an ethnic minority woman instead of depriving other white men of a job."

Click below for the story as reported in the Daily Express:

Click below for the excellent editorial in the Daily Express in pdf format which really does say it all.

Three Little Pigs book could be offensive, say award judges
23 January 2008

A book based on the story of The Three Little Pigs has been judged unsuitable because of "concerns about the Asian community" and because "the use of pigs raises cultural issues".

Whilst this is clearly not true and only likely to damage good community relations this appears to have been the message that has gone out from the Bett Award judges.

To read the full story on the BBC website click here or in the Daily Express click here.

Overzealous park official stops parents taking photos of their own daughter
14 December 2007

A couple were told that they could not take photos of their own daughter in a park in Oldham by a park official as it was "illegal to take pictures of children in the park". Even though they explained that it was their own daughter they wanted to photograph they were still not allowed to do so.  Click here for the full story in the Daily Mail.

MP calls debate on "Christianophobia"
6 December 2007

Mark Pritchard MP led a debate yesterday in Parliament on the subject of the continuous attacks on the Christian religion.  Click here to read the debate in full on Parliament's website.

Click here for an introduction to the debate on the BBC website and here for details from Mark Pritchard's website.

The words of the national anthem are not "inclusive enough" according to Lord Goldsmith who is leading a Citizenship Review for Gordon Brown.  He said in an interview, "Some people have suggested we might think about whether there are different words that might be put in place which would be more inclusive."

Click here for the story on the Sky News website.

Singer Kate Melua attacks Political Correctness
29 November 2007

Singer Kate Melua said in an interview on the BBC that in Britain there is a great "emphasis on a Politically Correct society" and that "there is something wrong with that".  Speaking as an immigrant from Georgia (aged 8) she said that when she moved to England she felt that there was no strong sense of identity.  She said that she believes that Political Correctness stops Brits being proud and showing that they are proud - citing the lack of St George's Day activities as a classic example.  She said that immigrants should learn the history of Britain and try to understand people.  In her opinion, language is the key and she said that all immigrants should learn English for their own sakes as much as for the sakes of others in the name of good integration.

An author was told by her publishers to take out references in her books to a dragon toasting his marshmallows by breathing fire on them, a mention of a red ring on an electric cooker and a boy using a ladder as they "went against health and safety".  To read the full story in the Daily Mail click here.

The traditional bonfire in Slough was scrapped allegedly to reduce the council's carbon footprint but as another councillor put it to make it more "multicultural".  Click below for the story in the Daily Mail and here for the story on the BBC News Website.

Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, called on Harriet Harman yesterday in the House of Commons to abolish the position of Minister for Women or, to be fair, appoint a Minister for Men.

The exact wording was as follows:

Philip Davies (Shipley): Does the Minister agree that we should be concerned equally about all prisoners with mental health problems, whether they be men or women? And if she really believes in equality between men and women, will she abolish her politically correct position, or at least create a Minister for men?

Transport for London are offering training positions where applicants need to be "Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic".  Apparently these groups are "under-represented" and so this position excludes white people - although even this is not clear from the confusion over race.  In London with so many nationalities etc there are bound to be groups that are not "represented" whatever this word really means and it is of great concern that this form of racism is legal.

Click here for the details on the Transport for London website or here for a pdf version of the page. 

If you come across any other examples of this sort of blatant racism please let us know!  

Lancashire Police have been criticised for losing all sense of proportion after local newspaper the Ormskirk Advertiser reported that they had swooped on a West Lancashire shop after a complaint over ‘racist’ golly dolls.

The newspaper reported that officers seized two of the dolls from In Touch furniture shop in Wrightington when a woman complained after spotting the soft toys in the shop.

Shop owner Gavin Alexander was warned he faced possible criminal charges under the Public Order Act for selling the Golly Rag dolls and keyrings. Mr Alexander said that police took a statement from him, photographed the dolls and confiscated two as evidence.

However, they have since decided that Mr Alexander is not breaking the law and he will not face charges.

Adrian Owens, Lancashire Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said “Political correctness is reaching its tentacles into West Lancashire. It's bad enough that some member of the public is so indoctrinated as to feel offended by these dolls, but for the police to waste time taking up the complaint underlines what is wrong with so much of the Britain - a country where victimhood is encouraged and freedoms curtailed. I'm glad that this shopkeeper has not been intimidated into withdrawing these golly dolls from sale."

MPs call on Government to eradicate political correctness
14 December 2006 

The Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, Philip Davies MP, has tabled a Motion in Parliament calling on the Government to take action to eradicate political correctness. Why not ask your MP if they are prepared to sign this motion and - if they won't - perhaps you would like to ask them why not seeing as 80% of people in Britain (according to an official poll commissioned by the Campaign) are fed up with political correctness.  It is time politicians started to act in the interests of the majority of people who are fed up with political correctness.

Click here to see which MPs have signed the Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the Government to take steps to eradicate political correctness. 

Jeffrey Donaldson MP attacks persecution of Christians
30 November 2006

Jeffrey Donaldson MP used Prime Minister's Question Time to highlight the persecution of Christians in Britain.  His question - which was answered by the Deputy Prime Minister on this occasion - was as follows:

Q6. [104559] Mr. Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley) (DUP): In an age when employees of our national airline cannot even display a Christian cross without being suspended from their employment, is there not a case for saying that Christians in this country find themselves increasingly under pressure? With the sexual orientation regulations, many Christian leaders are speaking out against what the Government are doing in putting the Christian Church under pressure. In Northern Ireland, those regulations are being imposed against the wishes of the vast majority of people in that part of the United Kingdom. Is it not time that the Government caught themselves on and started to listen to the majority in this country, who are fed up with being discriminated against as Christians?

The Deputy Prime Minister: I am not a religious man, but I always understood that religion was about tolerance. There is not much tolerance being shown in what the hon. Gentleman has said. It is a pity that we do not show more tolerance to different cultures and different religions. We would be a lot better off for it.

As Jeffrey Donaldson pointed out on Question Time tonight our heritage is being "buried in political correctness" and the intolerance is actually being shown to Christians.  It seems that it is alright to be tolerant of everyone except Christians and - as the quote goes - we're seeing "great intolerance shown in support of tolerance".

Rights groups demand apology and reparation for the slave trade
28 November 2006

Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was under pressure for not giving a full apology for Britain's role in the slave trade yesterday and for not promising reparation to descendants of slaves.  John Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said, "For an apology to mean anything it really needs to be from the person who did the act to the person who suffered.  Since none of us are 200 years old any apology is meaningless.  In fact, it is high time that we shook off the guilt complex that so many would like us to have.  Britain led the way in abolishing slavery and if people really want to mark the occasion they should put their efforts into ridding this country of the slavery it still shamefully has in the form of illegal immigrants - e.g. from Eastern Europe and North Africa - who are trafficked into the country and are forced to work as sex slaves for unscrupulous bosses.   More effort should be put into rooting out illegal "people trafficking" which finds people being forced to live in inhumane conditions day and night and is a scandalous form of modern day slavery".

Click below for a pdf file of the story in the Daily Star below.

British Airways in re-think on cross ban
26 November 2006

British Airways has said that it is going to re-consider its ban on the cross necklace worn by staff following the case of employee, Nadia Eweida.  Serious public pressure was brought to bear on British Airways causing them to issue this statement.

Full details can be found on the BBC's news website by clicking here. 

© Matt, Daily Telegraph

Poster by black comedian banned for mentioning racist word
15 November 2006

A poster which says "Pride and Prejudice and Niggas" to promote a comedy show by black comedian Reginald D Hunter has been banned by London Underground.  Reginald D Hunter and fellow comic Leo Muhammed took part in an interview on BBC London News to discuss the word from their opposing points of view.

Click here for further information on the BBC London website and if you click the link on the top right you should be able to actually listen to the very interesting and lively discussion. Some interesting highlights from Reginald Hunter are below but it is worth listening to the whole interview.

Reginald D Hunter said: I think good stand up comedy promotes discussion and this is promoting discussion.  It is offensive to some and for others it is not.  I don't have the right to tell him [Leo Muhammed] how he should feel about the word any more than he has the right to tell me.  We do both have the right to operate our lives in any way we choose.  To hold onto the word in that point of view in terms of its history and ugliness that it has is to believe that it we have birthright to allow it to still hurt you.  The word like the rest of our language is evolving ... these kids that are coming along they don't have the same attitudes towards language and sex that we seem to be wanting them to have.  I wasn't using the word to describe any race of people.  In fact the problem here is whether or not we can even say the word. 

Reprint of Dandy Annual being investigated by the Commission for Racial Equality
18 November 2006

The Commission for Racial Equality is to investigate a reprint of the 1939 Dandy Annual as the publishers did not edit out "offensive" language.  

The Campaign Against Political Correctness said the reproduction of terms used in a bygone age did not reinforce prejudice.

John Midgley said: 'Whilst language does evolve and change over time the fact that you can purchase these books and annuals in antique bookshops and over the internet makes these steps completely unnecessary.  The rewriting of history and old books is all part and parcel of the current tide of political correctness in this country.'

Comic collector Josh Lennon said: 'Shakespeare contains negative portrayals of Jews and blacks but no-one is going to insist his material is rewritten. I think adult collectors, which is the market this annual is aimed at, will understand the historical context.'

Click here for the story in the London Evening Standard.

Councillor challenges use of "banned" term
8 November 2006

In response to the disbelief shown by Liberal Democrat Councillor, Ian Robinson, during a mediation interview about the potential offence of the term "Paki", Pendle Council's Labour Leader, Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, said that he saw the term as an abbreviation, not an insult.  He said: "When my parents arrived in Britain I think it was just an abbreviation.  It was seen as against political correctness in the 90s, but personally I don't find it a derogatory term.  A small number may see it like that, but we have moved on in Pendle and in Britain as a whole."

Pendle's Conservative Leader, Councillor Tony Beckett, said, "As with all words, it all depends on the context."

Councillor in Noah's Ark e-mail row cleared by Standards Board
7 November 2006

Cllr David Clutterbuck - the Councillor at the centre of the e-mail trouble over a funny Noah's Ark spoof - has received confirmation that the Standards Board will not be investigating the 2 separate complaints made against him as they say there has been no potential breach of the code of conduct. The Chief Executive of Bournemouth Council has also issued instructions that any reference to Cllr Clutterbuck making unacceptable remarks should be deleted immediately from the Council's website.

Cllr Clutterbuck who, since the whole episode, has joined the Campaign Against Political Correctness, hailed the decision as "a victory for common sense and free speech". 

Laura Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said, "Councillor Clutterbuck has been put through an awful ordeal of which our country should be ashamed.  The fact that it has had to be the Standards Board - of all bodies - to clear Councillor Clutterbuck is really quite disgraceful.  Most people in this country have a great sense of humour and it is just a shame that those who don't have a sense of humour hold the positions they hold - for they are the ones who are causing the antagonism between different groups of people - as a result of trying to be politically correct - not individuals like Councillor Clutterbuck".  

Click here to read the story in the Dorset Daily Echo.

"Racist" black jelly baby case costs £250,000
4 November 2006

An accusation of racism centering on black jelly babies has finally come to an end after a trial at a cost of £250,000.  The tube workers at the centre of the accusations were cleared after an internal investigation and have now been cleared after a trial at Middlesex Crown Court.  One of the claims made as that one of the tube workers gave his black colleague a bag of jelly babies but he took offence as there were "too many black ones" in the packet.  After the ordeal which lasted two and a half years, one of the accused, Victor Cooney, said, "The verdict is a victory for common sense" and that trial had been a "waste of taxpayer's money". 

Commission for Racial Equality - competition
4 November 2006

The Commission for Racial Equality's Magazine, Catalyst, is running a competition to find the best in student journalism, illustration and photography.  The competition is open to full time students anywhere in the world and they are looking for the answer to the following question either by way of an article of up to 1,500 words, an illustration or a photo essay of 5-10 photographs.

What do race, faith and class have to do with the way we learn and what we teach? Is the system racist or are we falling prey to a culture of victimhood?

They say they are looking for fresh writing with compelling, interesting arguments, new points of view, probing and critical analysis, engagement with difficult questions and written in clear, plain English.  If you decide to enter why not send a copy of your entry to us too? Our contact details can be found here.

To find out more about how to enter either click here for a poster in pdf format or click here to go to the relevant page on the Commission for Racial Equality's Magazine website.

Remember, remember the 5th November - actually don't!
2 November 2006

If you live in Tower Hamlets this year, never mind "remember remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot" as bonfire night is not going ahead because the council has said, "We did the Guy Fawkes theme last year."  In a breathtaking move they have decided to act out a Bengali folk tale about an emperor and his tax collectors instead.  John Midgley, Co-Founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said the council's decision would 'explode in their faces'.  He added: "There's a time and a place for everything and November 5th is for Bonfire Night.  It's high time councils like this were given a heavy dose of common sense and people need to tell these bureaucrats that politically correct actions like these undermine historic occasions and harm community relations."

Click here to see the full story in the East London Advertiser.
Click here to see the story in the Evening Standard.
Click here to see the story in the Daily Mail.
Click here to see the story in The Sun.
Click here to see the story in the Times.
Click here to see the story in the Daily Telegraph (pdf)
Click here to see the story in the Daily Express (pdf)

Kirklees Council's brainwashing courses attacked and withdrawn
31 October 2006

Kirklees Council was attacked last night for enforcing its "very own thought police" – and far from defending it, the authority's new leader piled in with criticism of his own and said the policy would be scrapped.  Robert Light, the new council leader, used one of the banned terms himself when he told the Yorkshire Post that some of his authority's policies were "overzealous political correctness", before blaming the previous administration and pledging to revise them.

Philip Davies MP, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, called the policy "extreme and patronising".  He went on to say, "How much is it costing to produce all this garbage?  The policy is full of either the blindingly obvious or utterly ridiculous nonsense."

Officials responsible for devising the document – a training workbook entitled Equality Essentials that represents the council's policy – adapted a 1950s study into the social psychology of Nazi Germany called Allport's Scale to compare levels of harassment and bullying in the workplace.

The document says there are five steps on the scale. The fourth most serious category, "physical attack", places kicking, punching and overtly racist or sexist language alongside "moving things on a person's desk".

Click below to see one of the many extracts from the document dealing with the definition of political correctness.  Their origin of the term is completely wrong - in fact the first use of the term was thought to have been in the US Supreme Court as early as 1793 so only 200 years out of date!!!

Click here for the full story in the Yorkshire Post.
Click here for the story in the Daily Mail (pdf).
Click here for the story in the Daily Telegraph.
Click here for the story in The Times.
Click here for the story in the Evening Standard.

English Heritage to rewrite the histories of its properties to include slavery
29 October 2006

As part of a project to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery by Britain in 2007, a research team will investigate the slavery connections of all English Heritage's 400-plus properties. Any new material will be included in guide books or shown on display panels.  More controversially, it will also carry out a similar investigation of "a sample" of the 400,000 private listed buildings it supervises in England.  Any new "slavery" information will be added to the official register of listed buildings held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Parliamentary Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, Philip Davies MP, attacked the project as 'politically correct hand-wringing.' 'Perhaps they will hand over these properties to groups in Africa as reparation,' he said.

'I have no qualms about understanding as much as possible about our heritage but this smacks of politically correct hand wringing - apologising for all our past histories. There was a lot of good done by the British Empire, spreading democracy and the rule of law around the world, which we should be proud of. I hope English Heritage will find the time to focus on some of that as well as looking for every opportunity to apologise.'

Mr Davies dismissed attempts to sue U.S. and British companies for compensation for the slave trade as 'nonsense', saying: 'Where do you draw the line?  Should countries conquered by the Roman Empire apply to the Italian Government for compensation?'

Click here for further details of English Heritage's plans in the Daily Telegraph.

Mayoral hopeful says he would slash political correctness
25 October 2006

"Multiculturalism no longer provides the right answer to the complex nature of today's race relation issues," wrote Trevor Phillips, Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, in 2004. In this piece, Lee Rotherham, London Mayoral race, analyses where we stand today in the wake of the muslim veil debate.

Click here to read the full article in Word format.  
Click here to read the full article in pdf format.

Click here to visit Lee Rotherham's website and here to send him an e-mail.

Mankind to be "wiped out" by language police
23 October 2006

Glasgow City Council is responsible for the latest language guide to to be issued to staff.  It is, in part, a re-iteration of all the rubbish we have already seen - outlawing terms such as "ladies", "pet", "dear", "love" and "duck".  It also contains important missives such as:

"Some words and phrases such as 'manpower' and 'man the office' exclude or ignore women. Use inclusive terms like 'staff' and 'workers' and 'staff the office'."

Entrepreneur Michelle Mone said: "Councils and government are making it impossible to run businesses and then they come out with nonsense like this.  These people with their sandals and their flowery dresses - they need to get a life and stop wasting people's time. If someone doesn't like being called 'love' in a workforce then the door is open. Go and work somewhere else."

Richard Cook, Scottish Spokesman for the Campaign Against Political Correctness, added: "Now that this document is in print as a guide to staff it could be used by more zealous managers looking for an excuse to discipline employees."

Click here to see the language guide in full.
Click here to read further examples and the full story from the Scotland on Sunday newspaper.
Click here to read the article in the Daily Record.



Muslim organisation attacks police decision not to make arrests during Ramadan
22 October 2006

Gingerbread persons are the order of the day
20 October 2006

A bakery in Kidderminster has been advertising ‘ginger persons’ and staff have been correcting those asking for a gingerbread man by saying they no longer sell them and can only offer a ginger person. However, the store manager said, “It’s just a step too far. We have schoolchildren coming in who have asked for a gingerbread man for years.  Now I have to tell them they can’t have a gingerbread man and they can only have a ginger person. It is just silly really as the gingerbread man has been around for years. You can’t discriminate against a biscuit".

It seems that common sense will prevail in this case though with this statement from Greggs who own the bakery, “A regional manager took the decision to introduce ginger person in some stores in the West Midlands area.  We don’t know why this has happened but we will be speaking to the manager to make sure the name is reverted to gingerbread man. The gingerbread man has been around for 200 years and we have always called it by that name."

Click