Army backs down after ‘blacks only’ job ad sparks ‘white discrimination’ row
The advert appeared after Ministry of Defence figures revealed just 160 out of 13,000 officers are Asian or black in the Army
THE ARMY was forced to back down last night after advertising jobs exclusively for black soldiers.
Outraged servicemen complained that white soldiers were being discriminated against by the ad - which was looking for volunteers from within the Army's ranks to join a recruiting team.
Two positions were up for grabs in Manchester and Leeds, where the military has traditionally found it difficult to sign-up ethnic minorities. The recruitment jobs were specified for "Black British" candidates or lance corporals only.
The advert appeared on internal Army leaflets and sparked a wave of criticism that defence chiefs were becoming too sensitive to diversity demands.
Dar Jacques, a former Royal Engineer, wrote on Facebook: "It’s pure racism. If it was a post for a white Brit what would the “diverse” world say then? No jobs should be given to anyone because of their colour or origin."
One senior defence source said: "The Army wants more black and Asian people to join but this is not the right way to do it.
"More black people will join if they believe they are unlikely to be bullied and the colour of their skin will not affect their chances of advancement. It’s not about having a black face at the recruiting office."
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The code of practice in 2010 Equality Act states: "If an employer makes a statement in an advertisement that in offering employment they will treat applicants less favourably because of a protected characteristic, this would amount to direct discrimination."
The backlash forced the military to back down last night and a promise was made to change the wording of the advert, issued to the 102 Logistic Brigade.
In a statement, the Army said last night: "It is important to have a diverse recruiting force to attract the brightest and the best.
"Some of the language of this document is not consistent with our approach and it will be changed at the earliest opportunity."
The Brigade has been involved in active service in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, and is noted as one of the British Military Service's key units in recent years.
Diversity remains a problem for the UK Armed Forces, with ethnic minorities making up just seven per cent of active servicemen.
At officer level, black and ethnic minorities make up just 2.4 per cent of the total workforce.
There are roughly 13,000 officers in the Army and only 100 are Asian and 60 are Black according to the Ministry of Defence's diversity figures.
In the Royal Navy, of the 7,000 officers only 20 are black and Asian. It is a similar story for the RAF, where some 45 Asian and 30 black servicemen and women are part of the 8,000 workforce.
In an attempt to deal with the diversity issue among the ranks of the British Military Services, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon last year told service chiefs that at least 10 per cent of all new recruits must come from a non-white background by 2020.
But according to MoD figures for 2016, there had been no increase in ethnic minority recruitment.
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