EclectEcon

Council bans 'brainstorming'

A council has banned the term "brainstorming" - and replaced it with "thought showers".

Officials Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent feared the phrase might offend epileptics or the mentally ill. ...

But Margaret Thomas, of the National Society for Epilepsy, said: "Brainstorming is a clear and descriptive phrase.

"Alternatives such as "thought shower" or "blue-sky thinking" are ambiguous to say the least.

"Any implication that the word "brainstorming" is offensive to epileptics takes political correctness too far."

And Richard Colwill, of mental health charity SANE, agreed: "This ban goes too far. Few would be genuinely offended by the word "brainstorming" in the context of council meetings."

A council spokesman said: "We take diversity awareness very seriously. The majority of staff have taken part in training and been asked to use the term "thought showers"."