The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is looking to hire two diversity chiefs on higher salaries than soldiers as calls for Labour to increase defence spending intensify.
The MoD is currently recruiting a ‘Diversity and Inclusion Learning and Development Professional’ on £38,790pa and a ‘Culture and Inclusion Lead’ on £36,530pa.
This is £12,000 more than a British Army soldier’s starting salary of £25,200pa and just £1,500 less than an officer’s starting salary of £39,671pa.
Both jobs come with an enormous employer pension contribution of 28.97 per cent- six times higher than the private sector average- meaning taxpayers will be funding £11,243.46 per year into the pension pot of each job.
Both jobs offer work from home and there is no contractual requirement to attend the office at all.
How the diversity hires compare to different ranks' salaries in the British Army
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Shadow Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois, said: "Next Monday, 24 February 2025, is the third anniversary of the Russian illegal and barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
"It's a bit ironic then, that at the same time, the MoD should be advertising for even more DEI posts, none of which are likely to deter the likes of Vladimir Putin.
"The MoD needs to sort its priorities out, including publishing the Strategic Defence Review before it is completely overtaken by events."
It comes after Keir Starmer’s plan to send British troops to Ukraine was slammed as highly unrealistic by former Army Chiefs.
Former Chiefs of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter and Lord Dannatt have both highlighted the pitiful size of the UK’s army, low morale and ill-preparedness as key factors.
They urged Starmer to increase defence spending to at least three per cent of GDP and to stop the exodus of serving personnel.
Yesterday, Starmer has said that he is 'ready and willing' to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine PAThe British Army is projected to dip below 70,000 this year, meaning the entire force could fit inside Wembley with 20,000 seats to spare.
Critics say these diversity hires are a waste of taxpayer money that should be spent on recruiting or retaining soldiers instead.
The ‘Diversity and Inclusion Learning and Development Professional’ will focus on ‘developing the Leadership, Business and Spiritual Edge required to maintain the strategic and operational advantage’.
A requirement of the job is to ‘Be confident in communicating across various means, including face-to-face, email, online collaboration through Skype and Microsoft Teams, and written documentation appropriate for a professional environment’.
The ‘Culture and Inclusion Lead’ is within the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP)- the MOD’s civilian police force.
The future job holder will ‘manage and deliver the Force’s Communication Strategy and raise awareness of diversity and inclusion issues and facilitate events.’
Responsibilities will include ‘Managing the team to ensure deadlines are being met’ and ‘Keeping abreast of the latest trends driving DEI practices and innovations.’
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The MoD's 'Force for Inclusion' strategic pamphlet pushes for more minority representation across the forcesMinistry of DefenceIt comes after shocking FoI data revealed there are more civil servants in the Ministry of Defence then there are serving members of the RAF and Royal Navy.
Figures released by the MoD show 63,702 civilians work in the department, an increase of over 3,000 (6 per cent) from 2020.
There are 28,840 trained members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and 28,420 trained members of the RAF, taking the combined total to 57,260.
The Army, the largest branch of the forces, currently stands at just over 72,000, the smallest since the Napoleonic era.
A scan of the MoD’s job website reveals there are currently 326 civil servant jobs being advertised, including 12 with salaries over £100,000 a year.
The findings sparked a debate about the size, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Britain’s enormous civil service.
Overall, civil servant numbers have increased from 384,230 in 2016 to 510,665 full-time equivalent staff in March last year.
A scan of the Civil Service jobs website reveals there are currently 1,518 vacancies with 41 over £100,000 per year.
An MoD spokesperson said: “National security is a foundation of this government’s Plan for Change, which is why we will set out a pathway to spending 2.5% on defence in the Spring.
“In our first budget we increased defence spending by almost £3 billion – clearly illustrating our commitment to national security and ensuring we have a military force fit for the future.
“The Strategic Defence Review is wide-ranging, ensuring we look hard at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
