'This an embarrassment!' Former Met officer FUMES after white police SNUBBED for promotion due to race - 'It is unfair'

'This an embarrassment!' Former Met officer FUMES after white police SNUBBED for promotion due to race - 'It is unfair'

Former Met Police Office fumes after white police snubbed for promotion

GB News
Gabrielle Wilde

By Gabrielle Wilde


Published: 13/08/2024

- 19:17

Three white police officers have won a discrimination claim after being unfairly passed over for promotion because of their race

A former Met police officer has branded the latest court case against Thames Valley an "embarrassment" after three white men were overlooked for a promotion due to their race.

The three men won the case, which proved that they had been overlooked as a Superintendent was told to "make it happen" and promote an Asian man instead.


Speaking about this on GB News, former Met police officer, Chris Hobbs said: "This is clearly a massive embarrassment for Thames Valley.

"It almost defies belief that such a situation could be allowed to occur. It's not only grossly unfair on the three officers, but of course, the officer who was promoted.

Chris Hobbs

The former Met officer branded it "an embarrassment"

GB News

"I'm assuming that promotion won't stand and that individual will be known throughout the force. That individual will have to put up with this cross to bear, as it were, for probably two, three, four years.

"So it's a massive mistake. We all want to see more black and Asian officers, and officers from minority groups in the police.

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"But the bottom line is, the wonderful Asian and black officers I used to work with want a level playing field and I don't want to be given preferential treatment.

"They want to get into the police and they want to get on in the police by virtue of their own ability, not by being given a favour because of their ethnicity.

"And so this is just a huge mistake by Thames Valley."

The former Police officer added that he hopes this will encourage other people who are being overlooked to come forward and stand up to their bosses.

Thames Valley Police HQThames Valley Police HQPA

He said: "Fair play to the three officers who stood up and said, no, we're not having this. To take on your own force hierarchy is something really that has to be admired.

"There's a saying in policing about doing someone's legs you upset the force hierarchy. And somewhere along the line, that hierarchy will do your legs in some way, shape or form.

"I'd like to think those days are behind us. Maybe if this is happening in our forces, what's happened in Thames Valley will encourage officers who feel they've been discriminated against for whatever reason, to put their hands up, go to the Federation and say, right, we want to take our bosses on."

Three white police officers win discrimination claim after being looked over for promotion because of race

Three white police officers won the case

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At the tribunal, Employment Judge Robin Postle concluded: “The Superintendent made a decision to move Police Sergeant Sidhu into the detective inspector role without any competitive assessment process taking place.

“It went beyond mere encouragement, disadvantaging those officers who did not share Sergeant Sidhu's protected characteristic of race and who were denied the opportunity to apply for the role.

“It was not a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. Clearly, Superintendent Baillie was only focused on 'making it work' rather than carrying out a balancing exercise.

“Superintendent Baillie's decision ... clearly constituted positive discrimination."

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