Civil servants have been told to stop saying 'Brexit' and to refer to the UK's departure from the European Union using the date of '31 December 2020,' Daily Mail reported.
A 'style guide' advises staff to avoid the word 'Brexit', arguing it should only be used when necessary for 'historical context'.
Staff have also been told to steer clear of the term 'transition period' which refers to to the months when the UK and Brussels were hammering out the terms of their future relationship.
The Government's 'style guide' entry for Brexit, first spotted by The Telegraph, states that civil servants 'can use the term "Brexit" to provide historical context, but it’s better to use specific dates where possible'.
It states: 'For example, use: "31 December 2020" rather than "Brexit" or "when the UK left the EU", "before 31 December 2020" rather than "during the transition period", "after 1 January 2021" rather than "after the transition period".'
