[Barbebleu]

One of the most appalling things I have had the misfortune to read. You’ve been with us for twenty years but you can sod off and we’ll employ someone who fits the ‘diversity’ profile and fills a quota. Whatever happened to the right person for the job regardless of race or creed or gender or the need to fulfil some bizarre politically correct agenda.

 

[Barbebleu]

Not at all but I do believe in merit.

 

[Barbebleu]

Why would you assume that the minority musicians would not be just as qualified?

That's not my assumption. I do believe in the idea of the most qualified person getting the job but that doesn't mean that I disagree with the concept of diversity. I'm all for diversity but not at the expense of ability.

 

[Barbebleu]

https://englishtouringopera.org.uk/news/new-orchestral-artists

Were these new musicians demonstrably better than the musicians they replaced? That's a question to which I would be interested in hearing the answer.

 

[Barbebleu]

I don’t think anyone believes that every hiring is on merit but I never felt when I was working that I, or indeed any of my colleagues, were in danger of being dismissed simply because there were too many of us who didn’t fit a profile. And let’s not beat about the bush, we are talking about being either the wrong race or the wrong gender. Fair enough to be more diverse as vacancies become available but to actively remove people who don’t fit a particular profile seems to me to be inherently abhorrent.