Documents show ex-RAF chief ‘lied’ ‘blatantly’ about recruitment scandal, MP claims | UK news

A senior Tory politician has claimed that internal documents prove “beyond doubt” that the former head of the Royal Air Force “lied” to the then Defense Secretary about a recruitment scandal involving discrimination against white men.

Alicia Kearns also charged RAF and the Ministry of Defense of failing to compensate the former head of recruitment, Group Captain Lizzy Nicholl, who resigned in August 2022 in protest at what she rightly considered an unlawful order to favor female and ethnic minority applicants for about white men.

Sky News first broke the news the resignation.

Ms Kearns, who is the local MP for Group Captain Nicholl, made the allegations during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer said his government would “look into” the case and said a minister would meet Ms Kearns.

The actions of the former RAF recruitment chief, who lost his career after refusing to follow a controversial order from his chain of command to prioritize women and ethnic minorities, sparked a major inquiry which conclude that the RAF did. discriminate illegally against white men in a recruiting campaign aimed at boosting diversity.

“Group Captain Lizzy Nicholl had an exemplary career in the RAF until she was forced to resign for refusing to implement illegal conscription orders,” Kearns told parliament.

“Despite investigation after investigation vindicating Lizzy on all counts, the RAF and MoD have not offered her such a large compensation and those responsible have walked away.

“I have documents that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the former Air Chief of Staff lied to the then-Secretary of Defense about his case.”

The documents referred to by the MP are understood to include the outcome of an initial review of RAF recruitment policy and practice, dated 5 September 2022, and the conclusion of a meeting of the RAF meeting two days later, attended by senior officials, including Air Chief Marshall Sir. Mike Wigston, then Chief of the RAF, and Ben Wallace, then Defense Secretary.

Both documents have been seen by Sky News.

A summary of the conclusion of the initial report into RAF recruitment policy and practice said: “The RAF’s recruitment policies over the past two years create a very high risk of successful legal challenge.

“Policies considered individually and collectively, while framed with the laudable goal of increasing diversity, are very likely to be considered to go beyond legal ‘affirmative action’ and constitute ‘positive discrimination’ il legal”.

The second document outlined the findings of the Air Force Main Board meeting at the Ministry of Defense on September 7, which included a discussion of the recruiting scandal.

He said: “CAS (Chief of the Air Staff) had asked the Chief of Defense Personnel (CDP) to carry out a rapid review of RAF recruitment practices – the review concluded that no evidence of actual discrimination, but an order had been issued, which if acted upon would have left the RAF at high risk of a successful legal challenge.”

Asked about Ms Kearns’ claims that Air Chief Marshal Wigston had lied about the case, an RAF source said: “I don’t think he would lie to a politician or anyone. It was all based on the best information available, which changed.”

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In his public speech, Kearns also revealed that other internal investigations have similarly vindicated Group Captain Nicholl, but said his constituent has yet to be fairly compensated, while those responsible at the time “have gone”. .

He did not identify anyone by name, but Air Chief Marshal Wigston was the Chief of the Air Staff at the time and an advocate for improving diversity, something the government also supported.

Air Vice Marshal Maria Byford was chief of staff, while Commodore Jo Lincoln was another senior staff officer.

Kearns also claimed that in the run-up to this summer’s election, officials used a period known as purdah – where there is less ministerial oversight because everyone is campaigning – to offer the group’s captain “a paltry £2,000 “.

In a challenge to Sir Keir, Ms Kearns said: “The Prime Minister says he believes in righting wrongs, so he will meet with Lizzy and help make sure those responsible don’t just walk away and that Lizzy gets the justice she does he deserve that much?

Sky News has approached the Ministry of Defense and the RAF for comment.