Mail Online

RAF ‘discriminated against white men’

By Mark Nicol Defence Editor

The Royal Air Force has discriminated against white servicemen, a leaked document obtained by the Daily Mail suggests.

The RAF has faced claims it broke employment law when it attempted to favour female and ethnic minority candidates.

The allegations, which appear to breach the equality Act 2010, have led to calls for Chief of the Air Staff Sir Mike Wigston to step down.

An exchange of emails between Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Maria Byford – the RAF’s Chief of Staff (personnel) – and Assistant Chief of Staff (workforce requirements) Air Commodore Joanne Lincoln, has been leaked. In July and August last year these senior officers discussed which serving RAF personnel should be offered places on a training course.

In the email, AVM Byford said places should be filled by ‘any remaining women and EMs [ethnic Minorities] that are ready’ even if the candidates are not ‘first past the post’.

First past the post is military jargon describing when candidates were tested and how long they have waited for training. The ability of each candidate is also to be considered.

Later in the email AVM Byford attempted to justify the policy. She said: ‘The RAF is committed to increasing diversity and hence we need to sequence inflow into our service.’

The Ministry of Defence said: ‘The RAF is constantly reviewing its recruiting practices to ensure we attract the broadest and best talent. Standards did not drop.

‘But we accept, despite the best of intentions, some mistakes were made.’

IT is no exaggeration to say the world is more dangerous than it has been for many years. To defend Britain most effectively, the Armed Forces should recruit the best people regardless of race, sex or any other factor.

So it is shocking leaked emails reveal the RAF secretly, but deliberately, sidelined white male service personnel to promote females and those from ethnic minorities.

The danger is obvious. By not striving solely for excellence, top brass risk damaging operational effectiveness and morale.

With Russia warmongering and China flexing its muscles menacingly, it’s madness for the RAF to sacrifice national security on the woke altar of diversity.

■ THE brilliant expose by Mail writer Guy Adams into the British brands still open for business in Russia shamed fashion tycoon Sir Paul Smith into closing his boutiques there. So will Unilever locate its moral compass? Since the invasion, it has raked in £500million in blood money selling goods in Putin’s gangster state. The woke firm preaches sanctimoniously about the perceived failings of others. Yet there are few more monstrous failings than helping fund the war machine brutalising Ukraine.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NICOLA?

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2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/281822877948049

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