Reform MP demands answers after white candidates prohibited from applying for internship roles – ‘Funding overt racism’
A Reform MP has demanded answers after the news that white candidates were prohibited from applying for certain internship roles, declaring the system as “funding overt racism”.
Rupert Lowe – who is the representative for Great Yarmouth – has hit out at organisations which have advertised roles to only those from a Black, Asian and Ethnic minority (BAME) background.
In an open letter to the chair of the Environment Agency Alan Lovell, Lowe pointed out that the organisation only permitted applications from those who belonged to a BAME background, while white applicants were “prohibited”.
He wrote: “In my view, deliberately excluding applicants based on the colour of their skin is undeniable racism.
“Why does your organisation tolerate this level of discrimination when it is white people who are disadvantaged?”
He declared that he believed the agency ought to hire “purely on merit”.
Additionally, he highlighted that the push for diversity failed to extend to its “exclusively white” senior management team.
He suggested that “those enforcing these racist policies should lead by example, and step aside from their highly paid roles” to enhance “diversity”.
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Concluding his letter, Lowe wrote: “It is simply unacceptable to have taxpayer money funding this overt racism.”
Currently, the agency’s internship programme is only open to “Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic undergraduates in their final year of study and recent (within the last year) graduates who have a right to work in the UK”.
Similar programmes to promote “diversity” have been run by the British intelligence services, including MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
Their exclusion of white students from their application processes has been blasted by politicians over the past week, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticising the “overtly racist policy”.
A spokesman for GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 said: “The summer intelligence internship is a lawful measure used by the intelligence agencies to encourage people from under-represented groups to consider careers with our organisations.
“Participants in the internship do not receive an offer of permanent employment at the end of it. Anyone who has participated in the internship and who wishes to apply for a permanent position can do so.
“They will compete against all other candidates in external recruitment processes.”
GB News has contacted the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for comment.