One of Britain’s biggest police forces is under fire after it emerged that white British candidates were being barred from applying for jobs — while ethnic minority applicants were fast-tracked.
West Yorkshire Police has temporarily frozen applications from white British hopefuls on its police constable entry programmes in a bid to boost diversity across the force.
But critics are warning it’s gone too far — and could be breaking the law.
The force, which has 19 diversity and inclusion officers costing over £1 million a year, says the policy is about reflecting the “diverse communities” it serves.
But a whistleblower has claimed that white Brits are being actively shut out, while ethnic minority applicants are given months to apply — and sometimes even coached through the process. In documents seen by the Telegraph, they reported:
“The pipeline for anyone white British is strangled.
“Anyone not white British is ushered through onto the next available stage.”
‘Hidden’ Jobs and Hug-Filled Interviews
The whistleblower, who worked on sifting applications, claims entry-level roles were labelled “H” for Hidden in the force’s system — only accessible to candidates approached directly by the Positive Action Team (PAT). He said those selected were often greeted with hugs and told the interview was “just a formality”.
“I personally witnessed PAT members greeting candidates with unprofessional hand clasps and hugs,” he said.
“They were told: ‘Don’t worry, you’ve already passed’.”
According to his analysis, in the 15 months from June 2022 to October 2023, jobs were open to minority candidates for 446 days — but white British hopefuls had just 99 days to apply.
In one case, white applicants had just two days to submit their application in December 2022, while minority candidates had months.
Truss: ‘Anti-White Discrimination’
Ex-PM Liz Truss blasted the policy, warning that the police had become “ideologically captured” and guilty of “anti-white discrimination.”
“Britain has a serious problem with police leadership being ideologically captured and pursuing anti-white discrimination,” she said.
“Ministers should have to answer for this… A lot is required to end two-tier Britain.”
Legal Grey Area?
West Yorkshire Police insists it is acting within the law, citing the Equality Act 2010, which allows “positive action” to tackle under-representation.
But speaking in the Telegraph a top employment lawyer said the approach could amount to unlawful discrimination, saying the policy goes beyond support and enters “positive discrimination” — which is banned under UK law.
Minority Candidates ‘Coached’
The whistleblower also claimed that members of the Positive Action Team, many of whom are serving officers, mentorethnic minority applicants — from initial contact all the way through to the interview process.
He alleged that for three months in 2022, not a single ethnic minority candidate failed their interview, though some did fail vetting or physical assessments.
He added that some failed assessments were “held” and given another shot at passing — while white candidates didn’t get the same treatment.
“I have several examples of dishonest, fraudulent and incompetent actions by candidates that PAT have not only turned a blind eye to, but often defended to hit their figures,” he claimed.
WYP: ‘We’re Addressing Imbalance’
West Yorkshire Police, the UK’s fourth-largest force, defended its policy, saying only nine per cent of its officers are from ethnic minority backgrounds, while 23 per cent of residents in the region are.
A WYP spokesman said: “Positive Action allows people from under-represented groups to complete an application, which is then held on file until a recruitment window opens.
No interviews are held until the window is open to all candidates.”
The force added that its processes had been recently reviewed by His Majesty’s Inspectorate, and no issues were found.
WHAT IS POSITIVE ACTION?
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers can take “positive action” to encourage applications from under-represented groups — but cannot discriminate at the selection stage.
Critics say the WYP system skews the process by only opening vacancies to white British applicants once ethnic minority candidates have had months to apply — potentially leaving the force open to legal challenges.
Read more in the Telegraph here.
Image: For illustration purposes only. Photo created on AI.
