Ministers to investigate whether the RAF broke the law by prioritising women and ethnic minorities for positions over white men amid claims recruitment chiefs ‘artificially inflated’ diversity numbers to hit targets
- Armed forces minister James Heappey backed plans to boost diversity quotas
- Email surfaced saying only women and ethnic minorities could be recruited
- Anyone found responsible of positive discrimination will be ‘held to account’
Ministers are set to investigate whether the RAF broke the law by prioritising women and ethnic minorities for positions over white men, amid claims recruitment chiefs ‘artificially inflated’ diversity numbers to hit targets.
Armed forces minister James Heappey has backed plans by RAF chiefs to see how the force could legally boost their diversity quotas – but said that if there was any evidence of positive discrimination then those responsible will be ‘vigorously held to account’.
It comes after an email between a senior non-commissioned officer and staff in the recruitment process came to light, where they said anyone other than women or people from ethnic minorities were to be removed from the process.
Ministers are set to investigate whether the RAF broke the law by prioritising women and ethnic minorities for positions over white men, amid claims recruitment chiefs ‘artificially inflated’ diversity numbers to hit targets. Pictured, transport minister Grant Shapps (left) with James Heappey, armed forces minister (right)
The email said the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre in Cranwell, Lincolnshire, was looking to ‘maximise the limited capacity of the aptitude suite and to increase through output of all priority branches,’ The Times reported.
Before any job offer is made, aptitude tests are usually carried out, and include a written, fitness, medical, psychometric and leadership tests, as well as an interview and group discussion.
Boss of RAF recruitment Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford, chief of staff personnel and air secretary, has said she is ‘unashamed’ of the force’s diversity targets, amid claims that it has effectively paused its recruitment of white men.
She said that recruiting more women and ethnic minorities would result in ‘a better service in the long run’.
Earlier this week defence sources alleged that the unnamed female head of RAF recruitment resigned in protest over an ‘effective pause’ in offering jobs to white men.
An RAF spokesman said: ‘Training to clarify the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is delivered to all recruiting staff as part of their pre-employment training.’
There has been a fierce backlash to the recruitment from former military personnel as well as politicians, who have claimed that the recruitment pause ‘is an example of pandering to political correctness’.
Air Vice-Marshal Byford, the woman in charge of RAF recruitment, said she is ‘unashamed’ of the force’s diversity targets, amid claims that it has effectively paused its recruitment of white men
Former health secretary Sajid Javid said it would be ‘complete nonsense’ if the RAF has paused recruitment of white males.
He told Sky News: ‘I don’t think any organisation, whether it’s the RAF or any other public or private organisation, should be recruiting on the basis of one’s race.
‘Of course, we want to see a diverse workforce, we want to see all talents come through.
‘And I happen to think having more diversity actually increases the productivity of your workforce. But it should not be based on race – whether it’s black, white or anything.’
Defence sources, who spoke to Sky News, accused the head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, of seeming willing to priotise diversity and inclusion over UK security – at a time when threats from Russia and China are increasing.
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party leadership hopeful, Rishi Sunak, said: ‘The only thing that should matter in recruitment is the content of your character, not your sex or the colour of your skin.
‘That the Ministry of Defence would allow Britain’s security to potentially be put at risk by a drive for so called ‘diversity’ is not only disgraceful, it is dangerous.’
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan, said: ‘This idea of diversity now dominates the thinking of senior leaders in all of the Armed Forces.
Earlier this week defence sources claimed that the head of RAF recruitment resigned over an ‘effective pause’ in the hiring of white men. Sources said that the force was trying to hit ‘impossible’ diversity targets
‘They have become seized by the need for political correctness over the need for combat effectiveness and that could be damaging to our national defences.
‘This is an example of pandering to political correctness; the diverse make-up of the Army is important but it’s definitely not the most important.’
Conservative MP and member of the Commons defence committee Richard Drax – also a former Army officer – said that while he supported more women and ethnic minorities joining the Armed Forces, he was ‘nervous of any discrimination’.
He said: ‘Although I have been assured there has been no lowering of standards, I suspect that the RAF is manipulating the quota figure.
‘There is a surplus of people trying to join the force therefore they are without doubt discriminating.’
A spokesperson for the RAF disputed the allegations that it had paused recruitment for white men.
The spokesperson said: ‘There is no pause in Royal Air Force recruitment and no new policy with regards to meeting in-year recruitment requirements.
‘As with the Royal Navy and British Army, we are doing everything we can to encourage recruiting from under-represented groups and ensure we have a diverse workforce.
‘The Royal Air Force has a well-earned reputation for operational excellence that is founded on the quality of all our people. We will always seek to recruit the best talent available to us.’
Armed forces minister Heappey said that if there was a way to prioritise women and ethnic minorities over white men, then ‘that’s fine’: ‘Whilst they look at what would be a legal policy to pursue, absolutely nobody in the RAF or the Ministry of Defence is going to allow positive discrimination.. for any other reason because it’s straight up illegal,’ The Times reported.
With a defence source noting he was talking in general terms rather than the September 2020 incident, Heappey added: ‘If in the past there is evidence that somebody has deliberately or otherwise been engaged in positive discrimination, that is against diversity rules. And we will be investigating that and will make sure people are held to account.’
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