What's happened
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps orders review of inclusivity and diversity policies within the armed forces
Why it matters
The decision to reject plans to lower security standards for overseas recruits is significant as it reflects the ongoing debate around diversity and inclusion policies within the UK armed forces.
What the papers say
The Times reports that Grant Shapps has vowed to overrule plans to lower security standards, while The Guardian describes the move as a rejection of the idea to lower security clearances for overseas recruits as 'woke nonsense'. The Independent highlights the Defence Secretary's order for a review of diversity and inclusion policy at the Ministry of Defence in response to the newspaper's report.
How we got here
The British Army's Race Action Plan, published in 2023, outlined measures to boost representation and relax security clearance vetting to increase ethnic minority representation.
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