General Secretary of the Free Speech Union Toby Young has hit out at MI5, after it was revealed by GB News that they have been offering internships exclusively for 'non-white people'.
The domestic intelligence agency has been exposed after offering summer programs exclusively for minority ethnic groups.
On the applications forms for the Summer Intelligence Internship, it states "to be able to apply for the Summer Intelligence Internship, you must answer yes to the below questions", the first question being "I am from one of the following Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds".
Some of the ethnicities on the form included "Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese or any other Asian background".
Toby Young of the Free Speech Union said the MI5 application form is 'shocking'
GB News
The application did not mention any white only ethnicity backgrounds, only "White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or any other mixed ethnic background".
Reacting to the internship application form, GB News presenter Jacob Rees-Mogg said “MI5 is institutionally, publicly racist against white people.”
Jacob added: "It discriminates against 92.6% of my constituents in Somerset."
"If you are poor or have been failed by the education system, don’t apply to MI5."
Jacob was joined by Free Speech Union's Toby Young, who branded the application form "shocking".
Young said: "Imagine if it was the other way around, and the intelligence services were saying only white people can apply for our summer internships. There would be absolute uproar. They'd be prosecuted under equalities legislation, and rightly so.
"So why on earth do they think it's perfectly acceptable for them to discriminate? But on the other way?"
Jacob and Young were also joined by Gillian Howard, employment law and consultant with Leighton's LLP, who stated that she "disagreed strongly" with both of them.
The MI5 Summer Intelligence Internship application form asked for applicants of 'black, asian or minority ethnic backgrounds'
GB News
Howard said: "The Equality Act 2010 allows for positive action where there are underrepresented groups, disadvantaged groups such as ethnic minorities.
"And it provides that employers are entitled to offer training only to the underrepresented group, for example minority ethnic groups, and also to offer them employment if they are as qualified as someone who is not of an ethnic minority."
In a statement, a GCHQ spokesman 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.”
