Mind your language as Tories relish latest Euromyth

A story that neatly illustrates the working methods of the eurosceptics has been in the headlines of several papers this week, not least the Express. An internal guidance document intended for the translation services of the Parliament, advising staff on how best to render certain terms and expressions in other languages in a gender neutral or simply polite way (and also when not to do so if it would lead to distorted grammar and garbled sentences!), has been seized upon by various Conservative and other MEPs to portray it as "the European Union telling us how to speak our own language".

Although clearly not intended for MEPs or the wider public, Philip Bradbourn, Conservative MEP, said "I will have no part of it. I will continue to use my own language and expressions" - as if anyone had ever implied the contrary.

Struan Stevenson, the pro-European Scottish MEP who frequently masquerades as a Eurosceptic in the press to keep his right-wing party members happy, said "They seem determined to tell us which words we can use in our own language. It's ludicrous. The thought police are on the rampage". This is on a par with Struan's previous claims that the EU wanted to ban bagpipes - no doubt great for getting coverage in the Scottish press but no step forward for the cause of truth and honesty in politics!

Chris-Heaton Harris meanwhile had the cheek to claim "This really is the sort of rubbish that brings ridicule on the European Parliament", which is exactly what inventing Euromyths is designed to do, and something Tory MEPs obviously enjoy indulging in for a bit of easy press.