Yvette Cooper isn’t up to the task – three words from Home Office that prove it

Yvette Cooper’s main job should be to fix Britain’s police system and rebuild public trust. But it looks like she’s not doing that.

After the news broke that West Yorkshire Police had stopped accepting job applications from white British people, the Home Office didn’t offer a solution. Instead, they said it’s not her responsibility and that each police force handles its own hiring.

They defended her with three words: “operational and independent.” But if those words mean she can’t talk to the police, ask questions, or fix unfair practices, then maybe she’s not right for the role. Because if the Home Secretary won’t stand up for fairness and equal treatment, what’s the point of the job?

Imagine a young man from Yorkshire, ready and willing to serve, but told he can’t apply to his local police because he’s white. That’s not a mistake — it’s a clear choice. And it’s not right. This is not about diversity. This is discrimination, and possibly against the law.

West Yorkshire isn’t the only place doing this. Other forces, from Cumbria to Gloucestershire, have similar race-based programs. They use softer words like “positive action” or “representation,” but the result is the same — people being treated differently because of their race.

These kinds of policies damage public trust. The police are supposed to be fair and neutral. When they look like they’re picking sides, people lose confidence. But instead of dealing with the problem, Cooper’s department acted like it had nothing to do with them.

She has spoken out, but even then, she made it sound like it wasn’t her responsibility. If she can’t even raise the issue, what is she there for?

Labour seems more worried about pleasing certain groups than doing what’s fair. And when fairness disappears, trust in the whole system goes with it.

Cooper may talk tough about crime, but when it comes to fairness, her department says it’s not their job. That’s not leadership. That’s walking away from it.

If the Home Secretary won’t step in, people have every right to ask who’s really in charge — and why the Government is so afraid to get involved.