West Yorkshire Police Defends Diversity Recruitment Practices Amid Criticism

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the police force assert that measures comply with legal standards, as political scrutiny intensifies over alleged preferential treatment for minority candidates.

West Yorkshire Police confirms the use of 'positive action' under the Equality Act 2010 to address the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in its ranks.
The force allows ethnic minority candidates to apply early but denies claims of an outright block on white British applicants, emphasizing that all recruitment decisions are merit-based.
Critics, including Tory and Reform MPs, accuse the force of unfairly disadvantaging white candidates, with some labeling the practices as discriminatory and unlawful.
A controversial ranking system reportedly categorizes candidates by ethnicity, with minority applicants receiving higher priority tiers such as 'gold' and 'silver,' while white candidates are placed in a 'bronze' tier.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper states that West Yorkshire Police's recruitment practices meet required standards and are being monitored to ensure fairness and compliance with legal frameworks.