Civil service interns must be working class, government says

The UK government has announced that civil service internships will be exclusively reserved for students from less affluent backgrounds. This policy aims to increase the representation of the working class in Whitehall, the center of the British government. The decision comes as part of a broader initiative to make the civil service more diverse and inclusive. The government believes that by targeting internships at students from poorer families, it can provide opportunities for social mobility and ensure that the upper echelons of the public sector better reflect the country's demographic makeup. Critics, however, argue that this approach could be viewed as discriminatory and may face legal challenges. There are also concerns that it could inadvertently create a two-tier system, where working-class interns are perceived as less capable than their more privileged peers. The government maintains that this policy is a necessary step towards achieving greater social equity and representation within the civil service. The success of the initiative will be closely watched as it aims to reshape the composition of the UK's public institutions.