West Yorkshire Police Recruitment Practices Face Scrutiny Over Alleged Racial Bias

The force defends its policies as legal and aimed at improving diversity, while political leaders call for intervention to ensure fairness.

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.