Latest news with #AdmiralKey
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Suspended Royal Navy head has been ‘stitched up', allies insist
The suspension of the head of the Royal Navy was part of a 'dirty tricks campaign' to oust him, his friends say. Admiral Sir Ben Key, who is married with three children, has been told to 'step back from all duties' while an investigation is carried out into claims he had an affair with a female officer. It is the first time a first sea lord has faced a misconduct inquiry. • Head of Royal Navy suspended over 'affair with subordinate' Allies of Key, 59, have claimed that the allegations are a 'stitch-up', and the latest salvo after months of infighting at the top of the armed forces. Sources said that Key had clashed with other senior officers, including Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Navy leadership is in crisis, but the Service itself is fine
There is currently a crisis among our Navy's top leaders. The outgoing First Sea Lord – the head of the Service – Admiral Sir Ben Key, has been asked to 'step back' while the claim of affair with a subordinate officer is being investigated. Meanwhile, the person most likely to replace him, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins of the Royal Marines, is one of the subjects of a BBC Panorama documentary which suggests that he failed to correctly report alleged war crimes while serving as Director of Special Forces. The MoD responded that there was no evidence for these claims. Each of these, on its own, would amount to a significant scandal. That they have emerged simultaneously – just as the Strategic Defence Review is about to be published – is damaging. It also means we are now in conspiracy-theory open season. How important is this current crisis, and what can be done about it? You may have noticed I said 'Navy's leaders' and not 'naval leadership.' I firmly believe the latter is in good shape. The problem the Royal Navy now has to address – while unpicking this mess and its surrounding conspiracies – is: why would anyone believe that? The allegations surrounding Sir Ben, which are still under investigation, are particularly troubling given the lead he took on confronting behavioural scandals during his time as First Sea Lord, not least last year's investigation into 'misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours' in the submarine service. Some of that conduct was horrific and brought the Service into disrepute. What Admiral Key is alleged to have done here is far less serious, though it isn't negligible. As one who formerly worked in the Navy's comms department, I'd also have to say this story has been terribly handled. It would make a good episode of The Thick of It – though it wouldn't be funny, because there are real people involved. Malcolm Tucker, the fictional head of No 10 communications in that series, would not be impressed – nor, as I understand it, was the real No. 10 in this case. At the root of the issue is the fact that the Ministry of Defence communications machine protects the reputation of the ministers above that of any particular service – or the people in it, no matter how senior. That, along with never doing anything that might interfere with the No.10 comms grid, is hardwired in. In this case, the idea that the Navy might want to synchronise external announcements with internal communications – to assure those who must now lead their teams through the fallout – never crossed their minds. Then there's the delusion that you can suppress damaging news through careful stage management. You can't. Put out a softening statement first, by all means, but be honest with the wording – don't say 'stepped back for private reasons' when that's only tangentially true. Worse still, different branches within Defence ran different comms tracks, which meant two papers ended up racing to publish first. Not their fault – it's their job. But by losing control of the story, it broke mid-afternoon Friday – earlier than planned. By Sunday, the journalists who'd missed the scoop were under pressure to find new angles, many of which weren't true. And still we don't really know what happened, how serious it was, or who was involved. Had more information been released early, identities could have been protected as part of the trade-off. Now the story will just run and run as new details inevitably leak, and no one will escape. What bothers me is: if we can't manage something like this properly, what happens when something really awful happens – like losing a ship, or going to war? Meanwhile, Panorama airs its documentary into what happened under General Jenkins's command in Afghanistan. This has been a long time coming – documentaries like this always are. And the inquiry led by Sir Charles Haddon-Cave into 'unlawful activity by UK Special Forces' has been running since December 2022. General Gwyn has been the target of leaks before. That time it was to undermine his candidacy for the top job: Chief of Defence Staff. However, given the lead time for Panorama, I don't believe this and Admiral Key's story breaking simultaneously is a coordinated attack on the Navy. No one has the ability to manipulate media timelines to that extent. Some may take delight in it, but that's not the same thing. Still, the Navy now faces a dilemma over Jenkins's candidacy for First Sea Lord: expedite, delay (which could be for a very long time), or cancel. These are big decisions, not helped by the fact that two of the people at the level that would normally make decisions of this magnitude are now implicated. Hopefully this appearance on the BBC would have been factored in when he was chosen and so I suspect he will therefore be officially nominated soon, which will be good for the service. Nevertheless, with the General likely to attract regular headlines as both Panorama and the Haddon Cave enquiry head towards their respective conclusions, careful reputational handling will be required for some time to come. There is some good to be plucked from the mess. Operationally, this won't matter. Take the Navy and Joint Teams in Northwood overseeing the Carrier Strike Group as it nears the decision to enter the Houthi missile envelope in the Red Sea; they'll see this as no more than a minor distraction. Easily 98 per cent of the RN functions day to day without interaction with the head of service. Some will be annoyed, as will their families, but most will just crack on. Likewise at the strategic level, whilst the timing adjacent to the Strategic Defence Review culmination is unfortunate, it won't make any material difference. It's not like the Navy will receive less money as a punishment – it won't receive any in the first place. The real damage is to public perception, especially when public understanding of what the Navy is for is already so low. That hinges on whether these events are seen as isolated or endemic. In 25 years of service, I'd say – vehemently – it's the former. And that's not the Kool-Aid talking; I spent those years surrounded by good people doing hard jobs in extraordinary conditions. But outsiders only hear about the bad eggs – and lately, there have been too many. Now this. So, the Navy and Defence have a job to do – starting now – to convince people otherwise. If these two organisations can't do that together, beginning with communications and grounded in education, then they will fail
The Independent
09-05-2025
- The Independent
Head of Royal Navy steps back amid reports of ‘affair with subordinate'
The head of the Royal Navy has stepped back from his duties amid an investigation which multiple reports said is related to an alleged relationship with a subordinate. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed an investigation into First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Benjamin Key, 59, was 'ongoing'. Sir Benjamin had reportedly been expected to retire this summer but it is understood he has been told to step back from his role while the investigation takes place. The Sun and others reported the probe relates to an allegation of an inappropriate relationship with a female officer under his command, in breach of the Navy's 'service test'. The Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell, has taken command of the Navy in his place. The married father of three, who has served in the Navy for 40 years, has been in his post as First Sea Lord since 2021. An MoD spokesperson said: 'An investigation is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.' The First Sea Lord is responsible for the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the force. Educated at Bromsgrove School, in Worcestershire, he joined the navy in 1984 as a University Cadet. He qualified as both helicopter aircrew and as a Principal Warfare Officer, and as a junior officer saw service around the world in a variety of frigates and destroyers. Sir Benjamin, who lives in Dorset, was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2021. Sir Benjamin has been approached for comment.
Sky News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Head of Royal Navy steps back after investigation into alleged relationship with female colleague
The head of the Royal Navy has stepped back from the job after an investigation was launched into an alleged relationship with a female colleague, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier in the week that Admiral Sir Ben Key had stepped away from being First Sea Lord, sending shockwaves through the service. But a spokesperson at the time merely said this was because of "private reasons". A spokesperson on Friday night updated this response to say: "An investigation is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time." The Sun and The Financial Times first reported the true reason behind his premature exit. Admiral Key had always been due to step down from leading the Navy in the summer. The FT quoted two people familiar with the matter saying that the investigation related to a relationship with a female subordinate. The Sun said Admiral Key, who is married with three children, is suspected of breaking the Navy's strict "service test" which effectively prohibits sexual relationships between commanders and their subordinates. It is not thought that the person involved was in his immediate chain of command. But as head of the Navy, the First Sea Lord is in overall charge of all naval personnel. Admiral Key's sudden disappearance has forced the Navy to cancel its flagship annual Sea Power Conference, which was due to start on Monday with military guests from all over the world. Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell has temporarily taken charge of the service before a full-time replacement is announced. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, a Royal Marines officer who lost out on becoming national security adviser following last year's election, is widely expected to become the next First Sea Lord. If confirmed, he would be the first Royal Marine to head the service. Admiral Key, who was appointed as First Sea Lord in 2021, has placed a strong focus on eliminating unacceptable behaviour in the Navy. Last year, he declared "zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviours". In 2022, he said: "Those who do not wish to serve in accordance with the values and standards of life in the United Kingdom's armed forces will be removed. "There is no place for you." Admiral Key joined the Navy as a cadet in 1984 and commanded two frigates, a minehunter and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. The Navy lists integrity as one of its six core values. It says: "Integrity is that quality of an individual's character that encompasses honesty, sincerity, reliability and unselfishness. "It is an essential requirement of both leadership and comradeship. Unless we maintain our integrity, others will not trust us and teamwork will suffer."
Times
09-05-2025
- Times
Head of Royal Navy suspended over ‘affair with subordinate'
The head of the Royal Navy has been suspended over claims he had an affair with an subordinate, sources have disclosed. Admiral Sir Ben Key, 59, a married father of three, was told to 'step back from all duties' while an investigation is carried out, it is understood. It is the first time in the Royal Navy's 500-year history that its first sea lord has faced a misconduct inquiry. Vice-Admiral Sir Martin Connell, the second sea lord, has temporarily replaced him although General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, a Royal Marine, is expected to be given the job imminently. Jenkins will become the first amphibious soldier rather than a sailor to take over the position. Key was due to stand down in the summer. However, he was
