Nigel Farage has backed his MP Sarah Pochin who sparked a national debate about banning the burqa at Prime Minister’s Questions today. Ms Pochin called for an end to religious face coverings in public, citing examples from France, Denmark, Belgium and others.
While she was backed by Lee Anderson who has also demanded a ban, there was some confusion after a Reform UK spokesman said it is not party policy.
This evening Nigel Farage shared the PMQs moment on his GB News show and credited Ms Pochin for starting the debate. Mr Farage told viewers: “I think this debate actually goes beyond the burqa. And she listed some European countries but I’m going to add to that, Cameroon, Chad Republic of Congo, Gabon, Tunisia. In Asia, China, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. There are many, many, many countries in the world that are banning the burqa.
“But I think it goes further than that. You see, Sarah said, ‘in the interest of public safety’.
“I was in Aberdeen Monday, there was a mob there to meet me, an organisation called Antifa, and half of them had complete face coverings on so they would be unidentifiable.
“I don’t think face coverings in public places make sense, and I think we do deserve debate about that, which I see the burqa as being a part.
“It’s a tough one. It is a very difficult debate, but it’s a debate. The Quran does not say anything about wearing a burqa. It does say they want women to dress modestly. And actually, if you go to Morocco or Egypt or the UAE – Muslim countries – you won’t see a single woman in a burqa. It’s a relatively new thing.
“There is another social point: People do feel uncomfortable, actually, around people whose faces are covered. And I think it’s a very difficult thing.
“Certainly, I think masked protesters who can turn up and demonstrate and, in some cases use violence, should not be able to get away with it.”
Ms Pochin’s question at PMQs left Keir Starmer looking stunned, before taking a swipe at Reform leader Nigel Farage over the Clacton MP’s recent policy announcements, including restoring winter fuel payments and scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
Sir Keir replied: “Can I welcome her to her place, but I’m not going to follow her down that line.
“But now she is here and safely in her place, perhaps she could tell her new party leader that his latest plan to bet £80billion of unfunded tax cuts, with no idea how he’s going to pay for it, is Liz Truss all over again.
“Although considering I think she was a Conservative member when Liz Truss was leader, she probably won’t.”
