UK director constable gets accused of ‘anti-white discrimination’
(MENAFN) West Yorkshire Police is facing criticism over a recruitment strategy that prioritizes ethnic minority candidates, after Chief Constable John Robins suggested changes to UK law to permit “positive discrimination” in hiring, according to The Telegraph.
To boost diversity within the force, which currently has only 9% of officers from minority backgrounds despite those communities making up 23% of the local population, the department allows year-round applications from underrepresented groups. In contrast, white British candidates can only apply during designated periods.
Robins argued that previous efforts to improve representation haven’t worked and called for legal reforms to allow more targeted hiring. He compared the proposed approach to measures taken in Northern Ireland regarding religious representation.
As part of the current policy, candidates are reportedly ranked by ethnicity: Black and South Asian applicants are placed in the highest-priority ‘gold’ tier, East Asian candidates in ‘silver,’ and white applicants — including those from Britain, Ireland, and Eastern Europe — in the lowest ‘bronze’ tier.
Critics argue that such practices may violate UK anti-discrimination laws. Conservative MP Neil O’Brien labeled the approach “racist,” questioning its legality and relevance given West Yorkshire’s rising gun crime rates.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss also condemned the strategy, claiming the UK is facing a serious issue of “anti-white discrimination.” She criticized what she described as “woke ideology” influencing public institutions and called Robins' hiring policy politically motivated.
The controversy comes amid reports that the force spends £1.4 million ($1.8 million) annually on diversity initiatives, including employing 19 DEI officers and spending nearly £361,000 ($476,000) on related training.
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