According to defence insiders, job offers to white male RAF recruits have essentially been put on hold in order to satisfy diversity goals.
The Head of Recruitment of the RAF resigned in protest when it was claimed that women and ethnic minorities were given preference in recruitment efforts to fulfil “impossible” objectives.
The officer, who was a female herself, resigned over worries that employment limitations may weaken the military, according to reports.
According to sources, recruiters in the RAF have been instructed to temporarily stop giving opportunities to white male recruits in favour of women and members of underrepresented ethnic groups.
The levels of ambition for ethnic objectives, according to one source, “are simply ridiculous.” “We are all highly pro-diversity and we want to see improved representation throughout the services,” the source added.
There is neither a scientific nor a cultural basis for these specific degrees of ambition.
In order to increase diversity within the force at a time when challenges from China and Russia are most pressing, Air Chief Marshall Sir Mike Wigston, the head of the RAF, has been charged with being ready to jeopardise UK national security.
He should be “hauled up by the Ministry of Defence,” according to sources, according to Sky News.
A RAF representative refuted the accusations.
They said, “There is no break in recruiting for the Royal Air Force, and there is no new policy with respect to fulfilling in-year recruitment criteria.”
We are doing all we can to promote hiring from underrepresented groups and make sure we have a diverse staff, much as the Royal Navy and British Army.
The Royal Air Force has a well-deserved reputation for operational excellence, which is built on the calibre of every member of our workforce. We’ll always try to hire the top talent we can find.
The need of increasing diversity statistics has been emphasised to all three military services throughout the years by succeeding governments.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the armed forces, made a public statement last year on the need of pursuing more diversity and how it all came down to “woeful” numbers.
He remarked, “The woefulness of too few ladies.” “The dismal failure to represent the racial, religious, and intellectual variety of our country.”
The Ministry of Defence has already said that by 2030, it wants to see 30% more women join the armed services. The ratio is 12% as of right now.
By the end of the decade, the RAF expects female recruits to make up 40% of the total. Additionally, it seeks to have 20% of all new members to the air force come from racial or ethnic minorities.