Whites need not apply.
A recent internship posting at Transport for London (TfL), a UK government transit body, has sparked widespread outrage for its restriction of white applicants. The Stuart Ross Communications Internship, which offers a salary of £21,824 ($27,134) for 11 months of work, specified that the applicant must be “of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic background.” This racial qualification was prioritized over the requirement of being an undergraduate or recent graduate with a 2:2 degree or higher.
The internship program is open to non-graduates with less than a year of experience in the communications industry, but the racial requirements appear to be less flexible. The advertisement highlights the career progression of previous Stuart Ross interns, who have secured permanent positions at TfL, as well as jobs with organizations such as the Metropolitan Police, Crossrail Ltd, Marks & Spencer, the Arts Council, the National Health Service, and local government. The internship was established in 2006 to address the perceived lack of diversity in the PR industry, as stated on TfL’s website.
The posting drew criticism from various individuals, including Nigel Farage, the former head of the UK Independence Party, who called for an end to “racist adverts.” Laurence Fox, leader of the Reclaim Party, commented that if the advertisement had excluded black applicants, there would have been justified outrage from the media.
This incident is not the only racially-targeted job posting that has attracted attention recently. Another controversial advertisement for two teaching positions in Glasgow, offering a salary of £51,000/year ($63,300/year), was exclusively open to candidates who identified as Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic.
The Glasgow City Council, responsible for the posting, removed it after facing public outcry. While the council claimed it was mistakenly made public and intended for internal circulation only, they defended the underlying concept, arguing that it aimed to provide positive role models for young people.
The controversial hiring policy is grounded in the 2010 Equality Act, which allows for “positive action” favouring underrepresented minority groups. According to the act, it is not unlawful for an employer to recruit or promote a candidate with a protected characteristic that is underrepresented in the workforce, even if they are equally qualified as other candidates.
These racially-focused job postings have ignited a broader conversation about the balance between promoting diversity and potential discrimination. While some argue that such measures are necessary to address historic disparities and provide opportunities for marginalized groups, others believe that they perpetuate discrimination and undermine the principles of equal opportunity.
The questions remains, are the white Anglo-Saxons that are refused access to this intern now a minority group? What happened to the best person for a position?
