‘Offensive rubbish!’ Security services warned ‘racist’ internship that excludes White Britons ‘poses national security risk’

White British students not being allowed to apply for a summer internship programme launched by Britain’s intelligence services is “downright offensive”, security expert Professor Anthony Glees has fumed.

Speaking on GB News, he said the diversity policy is not the only concern he has about the recruitment drive.

Glees feels opening up Britain’s intelligence services via an internship programme poses a “national security risk”.

Speaking to Bev Turner and Andrew Pierce, he explained: “This is completely bonkers. When I first saw this story, I thought it was a joke. I thought it was made up.

“There is a reason our secret services are secret and to open them up to an internship programme represents a real and present national security risk.

“The internship programme isn’t just sitting somewhere quiet having a coffee. It promises unique access to operations and to people involved in our secret operations.

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“And then the provision that white Britons need not bother to apply is downright offensive. I accept, as everybody would, that there’s a lot of work that our secret agencies need to do that where you’re recruiting agents, you may need to recruit people from ethnic minorities.

“This is because of special skills, for example, languages they may have. That isn’t what this internship programme is about.

“You’re putting these people at risk. Not only would these students know who the other students were, not only would they have this unique access to secret operations, but they would also know the identities of the people speaking to them.

“These are all things that must be kept secret.”

He added: “If students want to know about being a spook, the best thing to do is go to a university.

“I’m not putting an advert for my university, but they need to do a programme where they can learn about this academically. I think this is offensive rubbish.”

The paid 10-11 week scheme, offered by MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, is exclusively open to students from Black, Asian, mixed heritage or ethnic minority backgrounds who also come from socially disadvantaged circumstances.

While the programme welcomes applications from “white other” groups, including Romany Gypsy and Scottish or Irish Travellers, white British candidates are not eligible, even if they come from deprived backgrounds.

The intelligence services say the restriction is due to “current underrepresentation in our workforce.”

The internship promises participants “unique access to operations” and the chance to make “key contributions to real projects.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for the programme to be scrapped, condemning it as “an overtly racist policy” that should be “immediately discontinued.”

“I understand the need to encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds, including underrepresented minorities,” Philp said, but argued the programme “implies it is impossible for any white person to be deprived or deserving of assistance.”

Former RAF Squadron Leader Tim Davies criticised the policy as “blatant discrimination.”

“Opportunities are being denied to white children, that’s just a fact, they cannot apply just because they are white,” Davies said.

A spokesperson for the intelligence agencies defended the programme as a “lawful measure” to encourage underrepresented groups.