GB News commentator to sue charity for not offering internships to white people | Law
An influencer is taking a charity that runs internships for black and ethnic minorities to court because they don’t run programs for white people.
UK News commentator Sophie Corcoran applied for a program run by the 10,000 Trainees Foundation in conjunction with the Bar Council. He said he was “shocked to discover that the program was limited to applicants of a certain racial background.”
The Guardian understands the apprenticeship charity received a legal letter outlining Corcoran’s intention to sue and responded on Wednesday. The lawsuit alleges he lost a job opportunity and was discriminated against under the Equality Act because he was white.
Corcoran said he was “exploring a career in law” and so applied for the 10,000 Trainee Foundation scheme and the £14.80-an-hour apprenticeship scheme run by the Bar Council, but was rejected.
He said: “This case is not just about my own experiences. I am pursuing this case because I believe that no one in Britain should be denied opportunities because of the color of their skin. I strongly believe that equality before the law should apply to everyone. Through this case, I hope to challenge practices that discriminate on the basis of race and reinforce the principle that justice and equal treatment should apply to everyone.”
Corcoran’s challenge was backed by Restore Britain MP Rupert Lowe, who described the internship program as “vile, anti-white racism” and “racist scum”.
Elon Musk, owner of social media platform He did not comment on this specific situation.
American Bar Association faced a similar case Programs were revised to offer internships to candidates from “ethnic minority” or “underrepresented racial” groups and, as a result, to require applicants to demonstrate a “strong commitment to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion.” Companies in the UK now believe copycat cases may emerge.
The 10,000 Intern Foundation, which has been operating since 2020, placed its 10,000th intern last year. Its CEO is former international swimmer Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, who became the first black woman to swim for Great Britain.
He has placed paid interns at many prestigious organizations, including the Royal Academy of Arts, Bloomberg and HSBC. The NHS will take on 120 interns from the charity this summer.
Ajulu-Bushell told the Guardian: “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. This belief has guided our work from the beginning and remains unchanged. We are confident in the legitimacy of our approach. The aim of our programs, training and mentoring is simple: to expand access, not limit it.”
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved as an organization in five short years, the lives we’ve changed and the workplaces we’ve developed as a result. We believe expanding opportunities, increasing representation and ensuring a wider range of talent thrives is not only fair, but essential to the strength of our society and the long-term success of British businesses.”
The Bar Council said the plan was “statutory positive action under sections 158 and 159 of the Equality Act based on evidence of under-representation in relation to entry into the profession”.
There are concerns within the charity that this case could put its future at risk. Following last year’s right-wing campaigns, some organizations withdrew their support for the internship programme. Experts said this legal case could cause greater damage to diversity and inclusion programs.
Dr. Shabna Begum said: “Such attacks risk having a chilling effect. Even if the allegations do not have strong legal basis, their visibility can deter organizations from pursuing EDI.” [equity, diversity and inclusion] startups that fear reputational or legal repercussions.
“And it’s not just those who lose internship opportunities who suffer. There is significant evidence that EDI policies, when implemented thoughtfully and systematically, actually improve the productivity, performance and financial returns of the organizations that undertake them.”
Other organizations told the Guardian they were making changes to their affirmative action internship programs by removing ethnicity from titles and limiting internship lengths to avoid such legal action.
Corcoran has been contacted for comment.
