Army chiefs setting up a £500,000 'woke force' to develop politically correct policies as ex-officers brand MoD's move as 'liberal madness’

Army top brass are setting up a full Diversity and Inclusion Directorate to develop politically-correct policies – and are hiring a 17-strong team of equality specialists to transform the culture of military units. 

Defence chiefs are set to splurge more than £500,000 on the new staff at a time when the Army faces losing tanks to save money.

Job summaries on recruitment websites describe how successful candidates will be expected to ensure troops and civilian Ministry of Defence employees ‘feel authentic in the workplace’, that people’s differences are ‘valued’ and that ‘everyone’s needs are considered’.

Defence chiefs are set to splurge more than £500,000 on the new staff at a time when the Army faces losing tanks to save money

The move, which was branded ‘liberal madness’ last night, comes after we revealed the MoD is to appoint a £110,000-a-year Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and how junior soldiers face punishment unless they include politically-correct ‘mantras’ on their annual self-assessment forms.

In defiance of the Prime Minister’s bid to get office workers back to their desks, the directorate’s new regiment of woke advisers will work from home, only visiting military facilities when required, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is understood the initiative is being introduced because chiefs believe the forces require a cultural transformation to boost recruitment among the BAME and LGBT communities.

Last night, retired officers decried the MoD’s move. The former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, said: ‘Liberal madness and its cult of identity politics has no place in military units who fight as teams not as individuals. 

The emphasis must remain on inspiring the iron ethos of service before self and creating the cohesion which is vital in combat. Obsessing over differences and individuality is dangerous. 

There is also no evidence diversity and inclusion policies contribute to increasing recruitment from across all parts of British society. Most people join the forces because they want to belong to something greater than the corrosive cult of individualism.’

Goldfish puts squaddies in hot water

By Mark Nicol Defence Editor for The Mail on Sunday

Three soldiers have been rapped by senior officers for failing to register a goldfish they brought on to an Army base.

The Royal Logistic Corps troops were investigated for smuggling the pet fish into their barracks without completing risk assessment forms.

The soldiers, from 1 Regiment RLC, were shocked to be told they should have conducted a safety review prior to the goldfish’s arrival last week at St David’s Barracks, Bicester, Oxfordshire.

The undocumented pet, which was living in a small water tank, was discovered during a routine room inspection by an officer who had only recently joined the regiment. 

A source said: ‘He took the names of three soldiers and had no intention of letting them off the hook over their breach of regimental policy. Nobody can believe how seriously this was taken.

‘You’d think the lads had sneaked something a lot more dangerous than a goldfish on to camp.’

An Army spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the goldfish has now been registered.’

The new initiatives have been approved by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, on whose politically-correct initiatives have been launched in a bid to change the image of the Armed Forces as being white, male and heterosexual. 

General Sir Nick was in charge of the Army in December 2017 when The Mail on Sunday revealed the force was to drop its ‘Be the Best’ slogan after consultants said it was ‘too elitist’.

Only 8.8 per cent of regular service personnel come from the BAME community, while just 10.9 per cent of full-time personnel are female.

However, campaigners have praised the progress made by the MoD in recent years.

The MoD said: ‘Defence is at its best when it is diverse and we are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment that attracts the best people from a wide range of backgrounds.’