Westminster’s ‘positive discrimination’ for jobs is unfair says opposition leader
By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter
Westminster City council has vowed to press ahead with giving people from ethnic minorities extra consideration for a vacant job role, despite claims from opposition councillors it’s unfair to others.
The authority said its recruitment policies were in line with industry standards and consistent with UK employment law, after an advert was posted for an executive assistant, stating that if there were two candidates of equal merit, they would consider someone from an underrepresented background to be the preferred choice.
But council opposition leader, Paul Swaddle, said the tone of the job advert implied certain candidates would be favoured over others and vowed to end the practice. He said: “That is wrong. All candidates should be judged on merit alone.
“If we win back control of the council in 2026 I will ensure we welcome applications from all parts of society and appoint solely on merit.”
The Equality Act does allow for employers to give additional help to people who share a protected characteristic such as race, sex or sexual orientation ‘in order to level the playing field’, according to Government guidance to employers, issued in 2023.
It added: “You can take proportionate action that aims to reduce disadvantage, meet different needs and increase participation.”
The advert, shared by Cllr Swaddle on X, said Westminster City wanted to boost the number of staff from underrepresented groups and encouraged applicants from the ‘global majority’ to apply. The term can refer to those from a Black, Asian or Brown community.
It read: “While the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provision of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint candidates from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit.”
A Westminster City spokesman said: “Our recruitment policies are industry standard, entirely consistent with UK employment law and have been in place for a number of years.”
Pictured top: Cllr Paul Swaddle (Picture: LDRS)
