The Asian Achievers Awards, an annual award ceremony run by Asian Business Publications Ltd, recognises the outstanding work by individuals from across all business sectors and professions within the Asian community. This weekend was the 15th awards ceremony, themed around the contribution of Asians in ‘uniformed and civil service'. The winners were announced at a red carpet reception and dinner on September 18th with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon delivering the keynote speech.
I’m delighted to be here to recognise British Asians’ enormous contribution to our uniformed services. And I’m pleased to see Defence names on the nominees list: Military Cross winner Lance Corporal Tuljung Gurung of The Royal Gurkha Rifles and Iman Hafiz the founder of our Armed Forces Muslim Forum.
But tonight is about all our nominees. You’ve not just impressed the expert judges but a quarter of a million people who support this prestigious award. And you’ve made your families, community and country very proud.
You’re also following in the footsteps of great forebears. And tonight we celebrate the Asian community’s contribution to British life.
I’ve seen statistics showing British Asians contribute 6% of UK GDP, despite making up just 4% of the population. Yet you also punch above your weight in literature, architecture, music, cinema, cuisine…and cricket.
Many talented British Asians from Hanif Kureishi to Atul Kochhar, Zayn Malik to Moeen Ali, are household names. And British Asians have brought that immense will to succeed into our Armed Forces. Last year I honoured their memory by laying a wreath at India Gate. This year, 70 years from World War 2 we remember the millions of Asians who fought and flung out fascism in Africa, Malaya, Burma, and Italy.
We celebrate yesterday, but we’re ambitious for tomorrow. Our country is more diverse, so our Armed Forces have much to do to reflect the society they serve. 12% of the British workforce hail from ethnic minorities, yet they represent only 7% of our Armed Forces. We fall well behind the Met Police and London Ambulance Service where the figure is above 11%. Internationally, even accounting for the different mix of our populations, in Germany it’s over 10% and in the USA it’s 40%. We must do better.
This isn’t about tokenism or creating a more integrated society, it’s about attracting the brightest and the best from the talent in our midst. We are one nation, and we need a one nation Armed Forces that benefits from all the people they protect. Our Service Chiefs share my ambition. The RAF, Navy and Army are developing programmes to increase opportunity in the services. We’ve got networks supporting personnel from different faiths. Today I confirm our commitment for at least 10% of our recruits to come from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background by 2020.
It’s a vital part of the Prime Minister’s 2020 vision to give all our cherished communities a stake in society. In the election campaign speech that he was proudest of, he spelled out that vision committing to a 20% increase in access to jobs, university places and apprenticeships.
I’ll be holding my Service Chiefs to account. Our success hinges on three things. First we must be prouder of our Armed Forces. They’re defending freedom, tolerance and rule of law globally whether from evil Daesh extremists or aggressive expansionist states. Our international friends are grateful for those efforts. Secondly, we must demonstrate a career in the Armed Forces is a highly valued and respectable aspiration. That beyond war fighting, it provides openings into a wide variety of professions like medicine, engineering and law while letting you test those skills to the limit. Few corporate careers offer that challenge or adrenalin rush. Few stand you in better stead if you decide to move on. But we hope you won’t. Because thirdly in the Armed Forces there are no limits to how far you can climb. Today’s minority communities are a minority in our senior ranks. Mustering a mere 630 officers out of around 27,230 regulars with a highest ranking of Colonel in the Army Commander in the Royal Navy and Air Commodore in the RAF. We can do better.
We need role models like our winners today rising to the very top. Showing potential recruits that if they’ve got the talent they will succeed. So I say to today’s nominees – you are our inspiration. And I’m confident you will inspire a new generation of British Asians to scale the peaks of military success not just as brigadiers, commanders and air commodores but as generals, admirals and air marshalls or even as Secretary of State for Defence.