British Army drew up £500K proposal to scrap ‘Be the Best’ motto because it was ‘non-inclusive’
THE British Army proposed scrapping its Be The Best logo over concerns it was too "elitist".
In a move that would cost the taxpayer £520k, the Army drew up plans to phase out the current slogan, which has been used since 1993.
The historic crest of two crossed swords, a crown and a lion was also deemed "elitist" and "non-inclusive" according to market research.
But the plans have since been put on hold by the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, who is said to believe the British Army is the "best of the best".
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told The Sun Online: "The Defence Secretary believes that the British Army is the best of the best and has put these proposals on hold."
The current logo was reportedly going to be replaced with a simple Union Jack, flying above "ARMY".
last night reported that a document was circulated by General Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of the General Staff, to senior officers, saying: "Market research in May 17 found that Be the Best did not resonate with many of our key audiences and was considered dated, elitist and non-inclusive.
"The ECAB [Executive Committee of the Army Board] therefore agreed that its use should be phased out as soon as affordably possible.
"The retirement of Be the Best will commence immediately with all planned refreshes of Be the Best branded material cancelled in favour of brand compliant products."
Critics hit out at the change of course, with Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of UK troops in Afghanistan, saying: "Credibility is secured by our abilities on the battlefield, our fighting spirit and our resources.
"And at a time when the defence budget is being squeezed, it is lunacy to squander money on a futile branding project."
He added: "Be the Best is popular because it encapsulates the desire for our troops to be better than their enemies. It has never been about them looking down at anyone in society, so any suggestion it is elitist is nonsense."
He was supported by Julian Lewis, chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, who said there was nothing to be ashamed of about the Be the Best slogan.
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The Ministry of Defence said: "The Defence Secretary believes that the British Army is the best of the best and has put these proposals on hold."
It comes after concerns were raised that Britain faced an "existential crisis" due to deep defence cuts.
In an extraordinary attack on ministers, former operations chief General Sir Richard Barrons claimed the Army is now “20 years out of date”.
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