Defence chiefs blasted after spending £1million on diversity jobs drive

DEFENCE officials have been slammed for spending almost £1million on a diversity jobs drive.

An ad campaign to recruit under-represented communities into the armed forces swallowed up £920,000 of precious cash.

The spending spree was revealed by Defence Minister Andrew Murrison and sparked a backlash from MPs.

Tory Sir John Hayes told the Mail: “The MoD has been infected by this peculiar preoccupation with woke causes.”

And Colonel Richard Kemp branded it “astonishingly wasteful” as the forces’ budget come under strain

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is seeking up to £11billion from Jeremy Hunt as next month’s Budget.

An Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “It is vital that we attract the very best talent in our society, which is why we recruit from a diverse range of backgrounds.

“This investment will ensure we have the best possible range of skills at our disposal. It is inaccurate to suggest this spending negatively impacts on our operational effectiveness.”