Labour urged to end ‘racist' block on white police recruits

Telegraph

10-04-2025

Yvette Cooper has been urged to end a 'racist' block on white applicants from becoming police officers.
The Home Secretary must take action against West Yorkshire Police or risk Britain becoming divided by membership of 'favoured ethnic groups', Tory and Reform MPs said.
The Telegraph reported on Thursday that the force has temporarily blocked applications from white British candidates for its police constable entry programmes in an attempt to boost diversity.
'Under-represented' groups can lodge their applications early, leading to concerns that white British candidates are being unfairly treated, amounting to a form of positive discrimination that could be potentially unlawful.
Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, said: 'Once again we see another example of two-tier Britain.
'It's disgraceful that West Yorkshire Police are treating white applicants as second-class citizens.
'The Home Secretary needs to urgently step in and put a stop to this. Reform UK are the only party promising to ban Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and return the country back to merit-based employment.'
West Yorkshire Police has said its policy is to ensure that 'diverse communities' are represented by the officers serving them. But former officers have accused it of effectively running a 'hidden' recruitment policy that targets certain groups.
'Gold, silver and bronze rankings'
One whistleblower claimed black and far east Asian candidates were considered particularly under-represented and given a 'gold' ranking, followed by those of south-east Asian origin who were in the silver tier.
'White others', including candidates from Irish and eastern European backgrounds, were bronze.
Neil O'Brien, a Tory frontbencher, said: 'These revelations about appalling racist hiring policies at West Yorkshire police are shocking.
'For the police to be dividing different ethnic groups into gold, silver and bronze categories is bizarre.
'We should be employing the best person for the job, not judging people solely on the colour of their skin.
'What is the Home Secretary going to do about this appalling example of two-tier Britain? Seemingly nothing so far, but she needs to step in.
'We are sleepwalking into a Britain where people are not judged as individuals or on the content of their character, but solely judged by their membership of particularly favoured ethnic groups.'
Ms Cooper told reporters: 'All police forces need to make sure that they have proper, fair recruitment arrangements in place.
'Often, lots of organisations do encourage more applications from under-represented groups, but they also have to make sure that the actual decision making, the recruitment process is fair and is making sure that it's about getting the best possible candidates into the sorts of jobs that they have.'
Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, insisted the claims that the police force practised unlawful positive discrimination were 'baseless'.
A spokesman said: 'It's absolutely right that West Yorkshire Police reflects the community it serves.
'That is how it builds trust, understands communities, and prevents crime.
'West Yorkshire Police doesn't discriminate in its recruitment process, and we fully support its efforts to diversify the force.'