Royal Air Force unlawfully discriminated in opposition to white male recruits in bid to spice up variety, inquiry finds

The Royal Air Force unlawfully discriminated in opposition to white males in a recruitment drive aimed toward boosting variety, an official inquiry has discovered.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the brand new head of the RAF, mentioned he “apologised unreservedly” to all these affected, together with the previous head of recruitment who was forced to resign slightly than implement an order she believed – appropriately – to be illegal.

Despite the damning findings, the chief of the air employees mentioned that not one of the RAF’s senior management, together with his predecessor Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, on whose watch this occurred, would face any form of sanction.

Instead, he blamed the debacle on authorized recommendation that incorrectly mentioned a push in 2020 and 2021 to fast-track ethnic minority and feminine recruits into coaching slots was optimistic motion – which is a authorized method to enhance variety – when it was truly optimistic discrimination, which is illegal.

“We accept that some men were discriminated against,” Air Chief Marshal Knighton mentioned.

Thirty-one males have already been recognized as having missed out on a possible £5,000 “golden handshake” to start out cyber roles within the RAF.

As first revealed by Sky News, the RAF is compensating every of those people.

Air Chief Marshal Knighton acknowledged that there might be extra instances and mentioned that the RAF would compensate anybody discovered to have suffered discrimination.

Wallace involved by ‘vital error’

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, described what occurred as a “significant error” and a “cause for regret” for the RAF.

But he insisted that entry requirements had been by no means lowered.

Yet he mentioned the therapy of Group Captain Lizzy Nicholl, the then head of recruitment who raised the alarm concerning the illegal exercise and ended up dropping her profession, wanted to be “looked at considerably”.

He mentioned scrutiny was wanted of “why she was ignored, why indeed she was put under that pressure. And I don’t want to see anyone put under pressure to do something like what we’ve seen in the RAF”.

The admission marks a shocking U-turn by the RAF on a scandal first exposed last August by Sky News when it was revealed that Group Captain Nicholl had resigned after refusing to hold out an order to discriminate in opposition to white males.

She was put into this place after her chain of command, beneath Air Vice Marshal Maria Byford, who reported to Air Chief Marshal Wigston, insisted that the order was to be carried out regardless of Group Captain Nicholl saying she had obtained new authorized recommendation that it was illegal.

Only final September, in proof to parliament, Air Chief Marshal Wigston assured MPs that there was no illegal discrimination in opposition to white males.

‘Uncomfortable studying’

A 72-page report – the results of a non-statutory inquiry ordered by Air Chief Marshal Wigston within the wake of the furore – discovered that the then head of recruitment had been proper.

It additionally criticised senior leaders for not counting on dependable forecasts when setting bold targets to extend the ratio of ladies and ethnic minority recruits.

Air Chief Marshal Knighton admitted that the report made “pretty uncomfortable reading” however mentioned that the RAF would be taught classes and this could by no means occur once more.

The report sought to seek out out what occurred within the lead as much as Group Captain Nicholl’s resignation.

It additionally regarded into allegations by the officer that she was the sufferer of institutional bullying as a result of she had been pressured to chase inconceivable variety targets.

The report cleared the RAF of the bullying allegations however concluded that Group Captain Nicholl had been proper to name out the illegal recruitment practices.

Read extra:
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Boss insists ‘no drop in standards’ despite recruitment row
Chief ‘unashamed’ of ‘pausing jobs for white men’

Diversity objective led to inconceivable targets

The entire affair is framed by an ambition set by Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston to considerably enhance the RAF’s variety – a defining objective of his tenure.

But this was translated down the chain of command into inconceivable recruitment targets.

The illegal exercise occurred in that local weather beneath a earlier head of recruitment earlier than Group Captain Nicholl took up her position in March 2021.

In the recruitment yr to March 2020 and the yr to March 2021, a complete of 161 ethnic minority and feminine recruits had been “pulled forward” onto preliminary coaching forward of white males.

“We found that concerns were raised at the time by R&S [recruitment and selection] staff but that those who led the initiatives believed that they were ‘pushing the boundaries’ of positive action rather than acting unlawfully,” the report mentioned.

Group Captain Nicholl, nonetheless, sought new authorized recommendation in May and June 2022 that clearly mentioned these actions had been “contrary to the Equality Act 2010, which provided reasonable justification for the Former Group Captain R&S to state that acts of positive discrimination had taken place in RY20/21 [recruitment year 2020-21]”.

Despite this recommendation, she was nonetheless beneath stress to prioritise ladies and ethnic minorities forward of white males.

The report described how this recommendation was “either not seen or understood” by probably the most senior echelons of the RAF – two-star officers and above.

There was additionally resistance from the highest to the problem that Group Captain Nicholl made.

The report mentioned: “We found that the chain of command’s reaction to the former Group Capt R&S was overly defensive and not properly considered whether she might have been justified in what she said regarding previous acts of positive discrimination or the legality of what she was asked to do; and that insufficient effort had been made to determine the facts.”