Oral Answers to Questions

Jack Rankin Excerpts

Wednesday 5th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Seema Malhotra]

An Education Minister will be happy to discuss that with the hon. Lady.

[Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)]

4. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of diversity, equality and inclusion schemes in the public sector.

[The Minister for Equalities (Olivia Bailey)]

This Government are determined to break down barriers to opportunity so that everyone can achieve success, and this commitment is underpinned by strong data and evidence.

[Jack Rankin]

Earlier this year, the Education Secretary said that white working-class boys “have been betrayed”, yet this summer, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ ran an internship scheme that was open only to people from ethnic minority backgrounds. I am afraid the House of Commons runs a similar scheme, in partnership with the Windsor Fellowship. What message does the Minister think it sends to our children when some doors are closed to them because of the colour of their skin, particularly in the context of what the Education Secretary said about white working-class boys?

[Olivia Bailey]

I have a lot of respect for the hon. Gentleman, who is a fellow Berkshire MP, but I gently say to him that it is right that people who serve our country, in whatever form, reflect the communities that they serve. These schemes are about levelling the playing field, not creating an unfair advantage, and everybody who gains a place has done so on merit. On the Government side of the House, we follow the evidence; he just follows the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage).