Military farce
Sir: Your leading article (‘The age of realism’, 1 March) argues that the government must invest in the UK’s ‘thinned-out infantry ranks’. This is certainly true, but it does pass over, in my view, the more fundamental issue of the broken recruitment system.
My own application to join the Royal Air Force was rejected on the basis that my mother is Polish. Given that Poland is an ally, this seems a curious justification for disqualification. I was born and educated in London, my mother having moved to the UK with my English father 30 years ago. Clearly I am not a security threat, but because ‘computer says no’, I will never be able to enlist.
It is, then, with amusement and some frustration that I often read of the ‘recruitment crisis’. There are many young people willing to enlist, but who are turned away on the basis of senseless recruitment criteria adapted to a stricto sensu concept of a homogenous British society. Relaxing them to permit applicants such as myself would be an easy, cheap and fast solution which does not compromise national security.
Luke Markham
London SW10
Reformed character
Sir: Nigel Farage has made much of Reform’s new slogan, ‘Family, Community, Country’ (‘Nigel’s gang’, 1 March). I’d like to point out that their slogan bears a striking similarity to the longtime slogan of the Social Democratic party (with whom Reform were recently in an election pact) of ‘Family, Community, Nation’.
Matthew Leese, Social Democratic party
Sheffield
Crash course
Sir: Madeline Grant likens Amazon’s takeover of the Bond franchise (‘Premium Bond’, 1 March) to the White Star Line asking Titanic’s captain, Edward Smith, if ‘he’d like a second crack at the old ocean-liner gig’.
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