Overview
- West Yorkshire Police allows ethnic minority candidates early application access to address underrepresentation, citing the Equality Act 2010.
- Critics, including Tory and Reform MPs, claim the recruitment system unfairly disadvantages white British applicants and constitutes racial discrimination.
- A ranking system reportedly categorizes candidates by ethnicity, with black and far east Asian applicants given top priority, raising concerns about fairness.
- Home Secretary Yvette Cooper denies allegations of a block on white applicants and states the recruitment process complies with legal standards.
- The West Yorkshire Police Federation and the policing inspectorate are reviewing recruitment practices to ensure compliance with the Equality Act and transparency.