Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Mark Townsend

Royal Navy promoted sailor despite joining neo-Nazi group

Kenneth McCourt was promoted to work with weapons, including Trident.
Kenneth McCourt was promoted to work with weapons systems, including on submarines carrying Trident nuclear missiles. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

A Royal Navy submariner who the Ministry of Defence knew had links to the far right was promoted after joining an even more extreme rightwing organisation.

Kenneth McCourt was exposed by the Observer in 2019 as a member of a white nationalist group with links to a banned terrorist organisation. Despite a subsequent MoD investigation, McCourt was allowed to remain in the navy without being disciplined and, according to his LinkedIn profile, was promoted last November to the rank of petty officer.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.