Reform councillor brands white working class men Britain’s ‘most disadvantaged group’

McIvor described the situation as "outrageous", saying: "You apply for a job, you want a career and a certain way of work and you are unable to progress your application because of your skin colour that you were born with that you can't help.

"That's outrageous for anybody but the fact it can happen specifically to one group of people is extraordinary."

McIvor argued that people are too nervous to express their opinions freely, creating a culture of self-censorship. "How many times do people start conversations with, 'I'm not racist, but…' people are constantly cautious," he said.

He acknowledged that genuine racists "should feel every bit of the law when they are caught" but insisted that "most people in this country just have an opinion and they should be allowed to speak freely and openly without worrying about causing offence."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• 'I'll get cancelled!' White men 'in pit of worry' over doing or saying wrong thing at work
• Tim Samuels explains why white men are seen as ‘oppressors’ as shocking research exposes DEI’s ‘Marxist’ roots
• Donald Trump sends free speech team to meet British pro-life activists who were arrested for praying silently outside abortion clinics

The councillor warned this fear is creating workplace problems, saying: "At some point, someone is going to make a mistake in the workplace and there will be a management level too scared to say something because they were scared of being the subject of a grievance."

McIvor's comments come amid recent controversy over the Premier League's Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme, which has faced accusations of discrimination against white male applicants.

Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, branded the initiative "anti-white racism" after several clubs advertised coaching positions that appeared to exclude white men from applying.

The scheme's job adverts specified they were "open to coaches who are currently under represented within English Professional Football", listing male coaches from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, and female coaches from all backgrounds as eligible applicants.

According to the Telegraph, numerous job adverts from Premier League clubs may violate the Equality Act.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and several other top-flight clubs published adverts explicitly stating they would "only" consider applications from ethnic minorities and women.

An expired Manchester United advert for a youth coaching role stated: "Applications will only be accepted from individuals from those backgrounds."

Several clubs told the Telegraph that the adverts were created using templates supplied by the Premier League. These templates have reportedly been updated, but even newer versions have faced criticism, with Ipswich Town removing their advert after determining it was "poorly worded."

The Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance states positive action is lawful but cannot restrict job opportunities based on protected characteristics.

The programme has supported more than 80 coaches, with 75 now working in professional football.