Army Sergeant Major response to conviction of serving soldier.
“Like lots of you, I’ve been following the media coverage about the case in Birmingham Crown Court involving allegations of extremist racism against two British soldiers.
“It’s good that they’ve been dealt with like this in a civilian court with a civilian jury – we might be soldiers but we are also citizens and we are bound by the law of the land. And I for one wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The bottom line is this: there is no place in the British Army whatsoever for any form of racism. That’s why one of our core values is ‘respect for others’ – what is difficult to understand about that?
“If you are a serving soldier, or would-be soldier, and you hold these intolerant and extremist views then as far as I’m concerned there is no place for you in the British Army; so get out.
“I do not believe that right-wing extremism is an endemic problem in the British Army. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist – like any large organisation it might be there.
“It is the duty of every soldier, if they see this behaviour, to have the moral courage to do something about it and to report it up the chain of command.
“Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that our great institution, the British Army, is a place where everybody can thrive and an institution that our nation is proud of.”
Army Sergeant Major Glenn Haughton OBE