Labour kills off 'husbands' and 'wives'

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Labour has removed the traditional terms "husband", "wife" and "spouse" from a wide range of official forms, and replaced them with the word "partner".

Civil servants at Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, which is responsible for tax collection, yesterday admitted the new term was a convenient "catch-all" and a part of "modern language".

The move is said to take into consideration the range of relationships that now have a legal standing.

One of the forms that now refers solely to partners is the CH2 Child Benefit claim form.

Its only reference to marital status is a requirement for claimants to select whether they are a Mrs, Miss, Ms or Mr - the Mr being placed last, presumably as a nod to feminism.

The situation becomes even more extreme on a Benefits and Credits form for those seeking permission for a third party, such as a Citizens Advice Bureau, to act on their behalf. In this case, marriage may as well not exist.

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Modern: Politically correct language on the child benefit form

It says: "If you and your partner have recently separated, the intermediary may say that they will only act for one of you."

The same applies to form TC825, a "working sheet for tax-credit relief for Gift Aid donations, pension contributions and trading losses".

Spouse is replaced with "partner" - although the form makes a concession to the confusion the term can cause. It notes: " 'Your Partner' on this sheet refers to the person with whom you have made your tax-credit claim, and does not refer to your business partner."

An HMRC spokesman said: "The word partner is part of modern language and is a catchall. It is just a nod towards the use of modern language."