Fairness with job move / promotion

[Tand]

Hi,

I was wondering there are any grounds for me to raise a grievance against my employer due to the following issue.

I work in a government department and have been seeking to move roles within the organisation. I have seen a number of internal roles being advertised, and having reviewed the required qualifications (which are not very clear), have applied for several roles. Worth noting that the qualifications being stated as a requirement for all these roles are exactly the same. I was short-listed for one role (next grade up) but came second in the interview round (the person that got the job had the same qualification as me), I have also been short listed for another role, but due to location I withdrew. However I have also applied for two other roles, but been told that my qualifications are not acceptable for these roles. My issue is that I have been accepted previously for interview for similar roles, I have colleagues that have the same qualifications that are in some of these positions that I am being told I can't apply for, and it feels like I am being held-back unfairly. I have raised this with HR and my line manager, only to be told that the organisation is not applying the rules consistently and other staff should not have been allowed to be short-listed / promoted / move role. Is there any employment law that can help me in this regard?

[ULA]

Unless any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act would apply and you could prove this was the reason for you not being appointed to those roles, then there is very little in employment law that would be able to help strengthen any grievance you may consider raising.