RAF faces £1million payout to former head of recruitment who resigned after being ordered to discriminate against white male aviators
- A report said the policy amounted to positive discrimination, which is illegal
The RAF is facing a £1 million pay out to a senior officer who resigned after being ordered to discriminate against white male aviators.
Group Captain Lizzie Nicholl, the RAF’s former head of recruitment, will be offered a substantial sum after an official report backed her claims of gender and ethnicity bias.
At the request of RAF top brass, the service’s recruiting team loaded women and ethnic minority candidates onto training courses ahead of white men.
But today’s Non-Statutory Inquiry (NSI) report found they dismissed Gp Capt Nicholl’s concerns and pressured her to carry on regardless.
It said the policy amounted to positive discrimination, which is illegal, rather than positive action, which is legal.
Group Captain Lizzie Nicholl, the RAF’s former head of recruitment, will be offered a substantial sum off the back of the report
At the time RAF bosses were desperate to reach targets of 40 per cent of RAF recruits being female, 20 per cent coming from ethnic minorities and 5 per cent being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transsexual (LGBT) by 2030.
Gp Capt Nicholl, who suffered ‘unreasonable pressure’ to breech equality guidelines, resigned last year over the RAF’s ‘no white males’ recruitment drive.
Her lawyers are expecting an offer from the RAF of around £1 million, according to military sources.
The report said: ‘We found the chain of command’s reaction to [her] concerns was overly defensive and had not properly considered whether she might have been justified in what she said.
‘The delay in acknowledging [her claim] led to the Gp Capt’s decision to leave the service. [Her] resignation letter included fair criticisms which were later proved to be justified. Her decision to resign was understandable and reasonable.’
The report’s findings are deeply embarrassing for the former head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshall (ACM) Sir Mike Wigston, who has previously insisted there was no discrimination against white males.
He stepped down last month and was succeeded by ACM Sir Richard Knighton, who said today: ‘I have apologised to those affected. The report makes uncomfortable reading for the RAF.
‘I am clear in my mind this has affected our confidence and our morale. It is important we are open and honest. The report makes 12 recommendations all of which have either been accepted or will be accepted.’
The report found the RAF fast-tracked 161 ethnic minority and female candidates ahead of white males. Thirty one recruits found to have been held back for gender and or ethnicity reasons have been offered £5,000 each.
The illegal practice was rumbled when the recruiting team was bombarded with similar complaints.
As a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) recalled: ‘What triggered me to investigate was the amount of phone calls we received from white male candidates on the internal commissioning scheme asking why they weren’t loaded onto the [initial officer training course] but their female friends were.
‘The unfortunate aspect being colleagues talk to each other and do discuss recommendations which puts us in a tricky situation to try and explain on behalf of the [selection centre] as to the reasons behind it.’
Sir Mike Wigston’s tenure as head of the RAF was mired in other controversies, including the sex abuse scandal in the Red Arrows, which was exposed by the Mail, and drastic shortages of frontline pilots.
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