Army critic discharged

A MAJOR who said the army was riven with racism and class bias has been served with his discharge papers, writes Mark Rowe.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Major Eric Joyce, who has made a series of allegations of sexism, snobbery and homophobia against the army, will now leave the army unless he chooses to appeal.

Major Joyce, 36, staff officer in the Adjutant General's Corps, was threatened with a court martial last year after claiming the military was run largely by former public schoolboys and split by Victorian attitudes.

He accused the armed forces of an "obsession with social class". As a result of the comments, he was suspended from his post at the army's training and recruitment agency at Upavon in Wiltshire last August.

Despite his comments, he was then given the role of running a Government- approved military journal and was granted permission to publish The Armed Services Forum. This was circulated to every officers' mess in Britain and was the first journal in which named serving personnel criticised the forces.