Generation Identity: Armed Forces

(asked on 14th December 2022) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 60934 on Generation Identity: Armed Forces, how many civilian personnel in his Department have been identified as members of Generation Identity since 2019.


Answered by
Andrew Murrison Portrait
Andrew Murrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 21st December 2022

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the risk of Extreme Right Wing Terrorism within the Armed Forces and the attraction that it offers to those who hold such views (and in particular the access to training and weapons). Extremist ideology is completely at odds with the values of the Armed Forces and is a matter the MOD takes extremely seriously. The MOD supports the HMG PREVENT strategy and is committed to addressing any incidence of extremist ideology within the Department. Defence continues to work with partners across government to strengthen our internal policies and procedures for raising awareness and responding at pace when a concern is identified.

Prevention of extremism within the Armed Forces includes initial vetting on enlistment, ongoing training, raising awareness, and implementing procedures to report and rehabilitate those who are at risk of being drawn into extremism. All Defence staff, including members of the Armed Forces, are prohibited from membership of proscribed organisations. Staff are permitted to join non-proscribed groups if it is compatible with service values and standards, in line with an individual’s rights to exercise their freedom of opinion and expression. This ensures that the Armed Forces are able to continue to recruit and retain personnel drawn from across society, whilst maintaining our service values and standards. Therefore, while Armed Forces personnel are permitted to join political parties and attend political meetings in a personal capacity (provided they do not wear uniform and their Service duties are not impeded); involvement in political marches or demonstrations are prohibited under the Queen’s Regulations.

The majority of Defence personnel, including members of the Armed Forces, are subject to a level of national security vetting in accordance with HMG policy, with those in particularly sensitive roles undergoing further, enhanced vetting. As part of the initial vetting process applicants are required to self-declare associations and memberships of any groups involved in espionage, terrorism, sabotage, or activities intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial, or violent means. In addition to this, in all recruitment applications, information provided by applicants is checked against security service records. On joining the Armed Forces, personnel receive training and instruction on the expectations of Service life, including the values and standards they are expected to uphold. This world class training, combined with the preventative measures above, help ensure that membership of extremist organisations is either minimised or identified and managed at the earliest opportunity


It must be noted that, while the MOD may refer any civilian staff it may have concerns about to PREVENT, this does not reflect any non-MOD referrals to the scheme of any MOD civilians by third parties. PREVENT is a cross-government scheme, and anyone can refer a person to PREVENT. The MOD does not hold records of any non-MOD referrals to PREVENT for civilian staff. As such, the MOD is unable to provide an accurate figure for civilian PREVENT Referrals. No Defence civil servants have been identified as being a member of Generation Identity since 2019. No member of the Armed Forces or Defence civil servants have been identified or convicted as being a member of a Proscribed Organisation under the Terrorism Act since 2019.

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