The head of recruitment for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) resigned over the pause in the recruitment of white men into the Armed Forces. As revealed by Sky News, the officer left her post in the face of a halt in the enlistment of white men in favor of women and ethnic minorities.
Sky News said, citing MoD sources, that the resignation was prompted by concerns that such restrictions on recruitment could undermine the RAF's fighting strength. The same sources accused RAF chief Sir Mike Wigston of appearing willing to compromise UK security at a time of growing threats from Russia and China in favor of supposed improvements in diversity and inclusion. In fact, one of the sources noted that General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the Army, has compared today's security challenges to those in preparation for World War II.
"The only thing that should matter in recruitment is the content of your character, not your gender or the color of your skin," a spokesman for UK prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak's candidacy told Sky News. "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," he added in remarks picked up by Sky.
Royal Air Force denies discrimination against white males
From the RAF denied that this discriminatory policy was behind the officer's resignation. "There is no pause in Royal Air Force recruitment and no new policy with regards to meeting in-year recruitment requirements," an Air Force spokesman told Sky News. In response to the controversy, the British Ministry of Defense issued a statement assuring that it maintains its recruitment standards.
(1/6) Operational effectiveness is of paramount importance and no one is lowering the standards to join the Royal Air Force. The RAF recruits for many professions and like the rest of the Armed Forces is determined to be a force that reflects the society it serves to protect.
- Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) August 16, 2022
The RAF, for its part, states on its website that "inclusion is about valuing and harnessing people’s unique backgrounds, talents, perspectives and insights for the benefit of individuals and the organization."
The UK Ministry of Defence's Inclusion and Diversity Strategy to 2030 is available in full here:
Defence Diversity and Inclusion Strategy by VozMedia on Scribd
