GB News host Andrew Pierce has slammed new police guidance warning officers against using terms like "black sheep" and "blacklisted" over concerns about racism.
The controversial document was issued to officers at Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire constabularies.
"Police officers have been urged not to use the terms 'black sheep' and 'black listed' because it might offend someone," Andrew said.
He particularly criticised the guidance's stance on pregnancy terminology, adding: "The document also states that 'pregnant person' should be used instead of referring to pregnant women.
Andrew Pierce has hit out at an uncovered document which advises officers against using the term 'blacklisted'
GB News / Getty
"Do they not realise you can only be a woman and be pregnant? What a load of woke nonsense."
The nine-page document, published in 2023, serves as a DEI reference guide for the three police forces.
It advises against using words like "faith" for being too "Christian-centric" and recommends replacing "pregnant woman" with "pregnant person".
Officers are also directed to watch a BBC Bitesize video meant for GCSE students about the difference between being "non-racist" and "anti-racist".
Police officers have been warned against using the terms 'black sheep' or 'blacklisted' over racism fears
PASpeaking to GB News, Festus Akinbusoye, the UK's first black Police and Crime Commissioner who previously worked at Bedfordshire Constabulary, agreed with Andrew that the document was "nonsense".
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He questioned the inconsistency in the guidance's approach to language. "They had all this list of black this or black that that you couldn't say, but there was no mention whatsoever about the words like whitewash," Akinbusoye told GB News.
"I couldn't understand why you couldn't say blacklist, but it was okay to say whitewash, it's just nonsense," he added.
He emphasised that he has never encountered anyone who takes issue with terms like "black list" or "black sheep".
"The people who are making an issue out of this, actually, in my opinion, they are actually creating more harm than they are creating good," he said.
Andrew told GB News that it was 'woke nonsense'
GB News
Akinbusoye further emphasised that police officers want to focus on their core duties rather than language policies.
He concluded: "One thing I know for a fact is this, the majority of police officers in this country just simply want to catch criminals, prevent crime from happening and protect victims. This kind of guidance does nothing, in my opinion, to support them in doing that job."
A spokesman speaking for the three forces said they could confirm the information was made available as part of a DEI reference guide for staff, adding: "Our forces serve diverse communities, and we are pleased to have an inclusive, culturally intelligent workforce, and invest in training to develop this ethos across our workforce.
"The information we have issued aims to provide guidance to help our officers and staff identify difference in our communities and treat the public we serve with respect. We regularly review such guidance to ensure that it remains current.
"We are committed to ensuring everyone across our three forces takes personal responsibility to help create an inclusive workplace, where police officers and staff respect others, feel valued for their differences and can be themselves."
