• West Yorkshire Police (WYP) allows ethnic minority candidates (“gold” status) to apply year-round, while White British, Irish, or Eastern European applicants (“bronze” status) must wait for limited recruitment windows.
• A WYP insider claims the system fast-tracks minority applicants, restricting opportunities for White candidates and creating an uneven hiring process.
• Critics argue the policy constitutes positive discrimination, raising concerns under the Equality Act 2010, which permits encouragement of underrepresented groups but bans outright racial bias in hiring.

  WYP defends the policy, citing under-representation. Only nine percent of officers are from ethnic minorities despite making up 23.4 percent of West Yorkshire’s population (per 2021 census). The force denies giving preferential treatment in final hiring decisions.

• The whistleblower claims some roles are marked “hidden” in internal systems, accessible only via the Positive Action Team, with management dismissing discrimination concerns. Legal experts call the policy a “gray area.”

A major British police force is under scrutiny after reports revealed its preferential recruitment policies for candidates from racial minorities, while limiting opportunities for White applicants.

According to The Telegraph, West Yorkshire Police (WYP), the U.K.’s fourth-largest force, allows ethnic minority applicants to submit job applications year-round. In contrast – those of British, Irish or Eastern European backgrounds must wait for specific recruitment windows.

The controversy stems from documents reviewed by the newspaper, which outline how the force categorizes applicants based on ethnicity. Minority candidates are reportedly labeled as “gold” and can apply anytime, while White applicants are classified as “bronze” and restricted to periodic recruitment drives.

A whistleblower within the WYP also divulged to The Telegraph that this system creates an uneven playing field, with non-White applicants advancing faster than their White counterparts. “The process restricts progression opportunities for White British candidates, while individuals from other backgrounds are swiftly advanced,” the whistleblower said.

Critics argue the policy amounts to positive discrimination, raising legal and ethical concerns in a country where affirmative action remains contentious. While diversity is important, hiring should remain merit-based.

The policy and the debate surrounding it comes as West Yorkshire, a county in the north of England, undergoes significant demographic shifts. As per the 2021 census conducted by the British Office for National Statistics (ONS), 23.4 percent of the county’s population identified as belonging to non-White ethnic groups.

This percentage increases considerably in certain areas. For example, 61.1 percent of residents in the city of Bradford are White. In contrast, 31.1 percent – over thrice the national average – identify as Asian.

Is the WYP’s diversity hiring policy crossing the line?

Under the Equality Act 2010, British law permits “positive action” – measures to encourage underrepresented groups to apply – but prohibits outright discrimination in hiring. WYP released a statement on Thursday, April 10, defending its hiring policy as a lawful attempt to address under-representation. (Related: London Metropolitan Police now hiring “functionally illiterate” officers in desperate push for diversity.)

The police force cited the 2021 census by the ONS, adding that only nine percent of WYP’s officer headcount reflects that diversity. It insisted that all applications are held until a general recruitment window opens and that no interviews occur beforehand.

“Enabling people from an ethnic minority background to apply early does not give them an advantage,” the WYP’s statement read. The police force added that it had “contacted media outlets … to advise of the inaccuracies within their reports and has respectfully asked for these to be amended as soon as possible.”

One lawyer told told The Telegraph that the WYP’s policy operates in a “legal gray area.” They added that while similar affirmative action is allowed in the U.S., British law forbids outright preferential treatment based on race.

The WYP whistleblower also alleged that some job openings are sometimes marked as “hidden” in internal systems, accessible only to those informed by the Positive Action Team. According to the tipster, management dismissed concerns about potential discrimination with the directive to “do what you’re told.”

For now, WYP maintains that its approach complies with national standards. But as scrutiny grows, the force faces mounting pressure to balance inclusivity with transparency.

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Sources include:

RMX.news

LBC.co.uk

WestYorkshire.Police.uk

Brighteon.com