Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Badenoch backs employers’ right to ban face coverings

Badenoch also said employers should have the right to ban staff from wearing burqas, stating, “Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear.”

Kemi Badenoch

The Conservative leader said she asks people to remove face coverings—whether burqas or balaclavas—when they attend her surgeries. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

KEMI BADENOCH has said she will not speak to women wearing burqas or other face coverings at her constituency surgery.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the Conservative leader said she asks people to remove face coverings—whether burqas or balaclavas—when they attend her surgeries.


Badenoch also said employers should have the right to ban staff from wearing burqas, stating, “Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear.”

She said, “If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering. I’m not talking to people who are not going to show me their face.” She added, “There’s a whole heap of stuff that is far more insidious... things like first-cousin marriage… My view is that people should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband is asking them to wear or what their community says that they should wear.”

Afzal Khan, Labour MP and vice-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, criticised the remarks. He said: “Trying to outflank Reform UK on immigration or culture wars... erodes trust in politics itself.”

The issue was raised after Reform MP Sarah Pochin questioned Keir Starmer about banning the burqa. Nigel Farage has also called for a debate.

Zia Yusuf, chair of Reform, resigned over the issue but has since returned. He told The Sunday Times he might vote for a ban but said other issues were more urgent.

Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said he had spoken to women in burqas in the past.

More For You

Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference at Westminster Highlights Religious Persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

A high-profile conference on religious freedom in Bangladesh and Baluchistan was held at Portcullis House, Westminster, organised by the Dharmic Ideas & Policy Foundation (DIPF), hosted by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East), and supported by APPG leaders on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), including Richard James Shannon MP and Julie Jones on 9 June 2025.

Chairing the conference, Mr Blackman condemned the ongoing persecution of minorities in both regions, describing the situation as dire and deteriorating.

Keep ReadingShow less
abortion protests

Protesters hold up placards during a march through central London on June 17, 2023, to call for decriminalisation of abortion. (Photo: Getty Images)

Parliament to vote on abortion law reform for Women

MPs are expected to vote on Tuesday on a proposed change to abortion laws in England and Wales that would prevent women from being prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies.

Under current law, women can face criminal charges for terminating a pregnancy beyond 24 weeks or without the approval of two doctors. The law still carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave

The spike in temperature is due to a period of high pressure currently centred over the UK

iStock

UK weather forecast says heatwave is coming and it could last for days

Britons are set to enjoy a burst of summer sunshine as forecasters predict a heatwave over the weekend, with temperatures expected to rise higher than those in parts of southern Europe. The Met Office anticipates that the UK could experience its hottest days of the year so far, with the south-east likely to be the warmest region.

Temperatures to reach 32°C in parts of the UK

According to the latest weather forecast heatwave predictions, temperatures could peak at 32°C on Saturday, 21 June, and Sunday, 22 June in areas including London and Kent. These highs would surpass conditions in traditional holiday destinations such as Portugal and southern France.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India crash

Spiritual messages were shared by representatives of different faiths and floral tributes were laid during the memorial.(Photo: X/@AngelaRayner)

X/@AngelaRayner

Air India crash: UK and India united in grief, says Angela Rayner at London vigil

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Angela Rayner has said the United Kingdom and India are united in grief after the Ahmedabad-London Air India crash last week.

Speaking at a multi-faith memorial service at India House in London on Monday evening, Rayner was joined by other parliamentarians, Foreign Office officials and members of the Indian community to pay tribute to the lives lost.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yvette Cooper

Yvette Cooper told parliament that any adult who engages in penetrative sex with a child under 16 will now face the most serious charge of rape. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Government announces new laws against grooming gangs, issues apology to victims

THE UK government on Monday introduced new laws to tackle grooming gangs and apologised to the thousands of victims believed to have been sexually exploited across the country.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament that any adult who engages in penetrative sex with a child under 16 will now face the most serious charge of rape. The move is part of a nationwide crackdown on grooming gangs.

Keep ReadingShow less