Defence sources claim that job offers for white male recruits to the RAF were effectively halted in order to achieve diversity targets.
According to reports, women and ethnic minorities were favoured by recruitment efforts to reach ‘impossible targets’. This has prompted the Head Of Recruitment at the RAF (RAF) to resign.
Sources say that the female officer quit the job because she was concerned about hiring restrictions, which could weaken the force of the service.
Sources say that recruiters in the RAF were instructed to temporarily halt offering jobs to white men recruits, and instead offer roles to women or ethnic minorities.
According to reports, recruiters in the RAF were instructed to temporarily halt offering jobs to white men recruits to make way for women and ethnic minorities.
‘We are all really pro-diversity and we want to see better representation across the services but … levels of ambition for ethnic targets … are absolutely crazy,’ one source said.
“There is no background in science or culture that can support these ambitions.”
Sir Mike Wigston is the head of the RAF Air chief Marshall. He has been accused in an accusation of willingly compromising the security of Britain to enhance diversity within the force, at a time when there are growing threats from Russia as well as China.
According to Sky News, sources believe he should be ‘hauled up by the Ministry of Defence’ over the matter.
The allegations were refuted by a spokesperson from the RAF.
They stated that there was no “pause” in Royal Air Force Recruitment and they had no plans to change their policy regarding meeting the in-year requirements for recruitment.
“As in the Royal Navy and British Army we do everything possible to promote recruitment from under-represented group and make sure we have diverse workers.
The reputation of the Royal Air Force for operating excellence has been earned through its people. The Royal Air Force will continue to seek out the most talented talent.
Sir Mike Wigston, Head of the RAF’s Air Chief Marshall (pictured), has been accused by the UK of being willing to compromise security in order to increase diversity within the force
Successive governments to each of the three armed forces have stressed over the years the importance of increasing diversity statistics.
In a public speech last year, Admiral Tony Radakin (Head of the Armed forces) spoke about the importance to promote more diversity. He also said it was about bad statistics.
He spoke of the “woefulness” that there were not enough women. “The woefulness that our country does not reflect the cultural, religious, and cognitive diversity it has.”
According to previous statements by the Ministry of Defence it plans to raise the percentage of women enlisting in the armed forces up to 30% by 2030. The current ratio is 12 percent.
The RAF hopes that the proportion of female recruits will reach 40 percent by the end of this decade. The RAF also wants to see 20 percent of airforce recruits from ethnic minorities.