‘It uses YOUR money to discriminate!’ Jacob Rees-Mogg blasts woke MI5 over ‘institutional racism against white people’

“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.”

“It won’t have you if you are white.”

The MI5 website’s summer internship posting stipulates that “you must answer yes to the below questions”, and goes on to ask:

I am from one of the following Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds:

• Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese or any other Asian background.
• African, Caribbean or any other Black background.
• White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or any other mixed ethnic background.
• Other minority ethnic group.

State of the Nation also revealed similar style schemes at other public sector institutions such as the Civil Service’s Fast Stream placement, The Bank of England’s Black Future Leaders Sponsorship Programme, the Mayor of London Media & Marketing BAME Internship and Transport for London’s Stuart Ross Communications Internship in which applicants “must be of Black, Asian and minority ethnic background, defined as having some African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or other non-white heritage.”

In the past the BBC has come under fire for similar schemes but defended itself and said:

“This training scheme is designed as a positive action scheme to address an identified under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in certain roles. Such schemes are as allowed under the Equality Act and we're proud to be taking part.”

Speaking to GB News’ employment lawyer Gillian Howard of Laytons LLP, said “These diversity programmes offering training only to under-represented minorities in organisations which traditionally have been white and male are specifically provided for under the Equality Act 2010.

“They allow for training for such minorities to try to bring up to a level playing field and give them opportunities for employment where none or very few have had the opportunity for employment in the past.”

The Equality Act 2010 passed by Gordon Brown’s government permits employers “to use the positive action measures to help people overcome certain barriers and improve representation in your workforce.”

But in recent years this has become a point of controversy.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said “it appears Britain’s public sector has become overrun with institutional racism, undoing all of the progress we have made with Britain’s race relations over the past half century.”

“Just remember that you [the taxpayer] are paying for it.”

“We need to reform the Equality Act”.

Speaking to Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation, director of the Free Speech Union Toby Young said “If it looks like racial discrimination, walks like racial discrimination and Quacks like racial discrimination... it's racial discrimination”.

“Is it unlawful positive discrimination if it favours white men, but lawful positive action if it favours anyone else?”

“Surely, we should be making every effort to recruit the best and the brightest to the Bank of England and the intelligence services, regardless of the colour of their skin?”

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.