RAF boss was ready to ‘test limit of the law’ to improve diversity
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told a meeting that ‘all-white, all-male lists of anything are unacceptable’ in leaked transcript
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...ove-diversity/
"The head of the Royal Air Force was
ready to take diversity drives to the “limit of the law”, according to a leaked transcript of an internal meeting.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told a virtual meeting of the RAF’s ethnic minority network that “
all-white, all-male lists of anything are unacceptable”, according to a document seen by Sky News.
He said he aimed to improve the proportion of ethnic minority recruits from six per cent in 2019 to 20 per cent by 2030, according to Sky.
If the improvements did not happen fast enough towards the end of his tenure, he said, “I'm going to take it as far as I can in the law – right up to the
point of quotas and push positive action to the limit of the law.
“We are already taking positive action and I don’t accept honours and awards that aren’t representative of our population.”
Not a verbatim transcript
The document seen by Sky carried a disclaimer that it was not a verbatim transcript of the meeting, held in June 2020, but rather drew on notes taken by staff who were listening “and
captures the key aspects from the question-and-answer session”.
Air Chief Marshal Wigston is set to retire from the RAF in June after almost four years in his post.
The RAF has faced questions recently over its approach to diversity in recruitment.
Group Captain Elizabeth Nicholl, the head of the force’s recruitment, resigned in summer 2022 in protest at an alleged order to pause the acceptance of white male recruits on to training courses in favour of women and ethnic minorities.
An RAF spokesman said: “The RAF is
constantly reviewing its recruiting practices in order to improve the diversity of its workforce. During the period in question our selection standards did not drop and there was no impact on the operational effectiveness of the RAF.
"However, in hindsight, we accept that despite the best of intentions, some mistakes were made. The RAF is now confident that our approach is correct.”