Reform's Yusuf calls party MP's burqa ban demand "dumb"

A PUBLIC row has erupted within Reform UK after one of their newly-elected MPs called for Britain to ban the burqa, with the party's own chairman branding the move "dumb".

Sarah Pochin, Reform's MP for Runcorn and Helsby, used her first appearance at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday (4) to ask Sir Keir Starmer whether he would follow European neighbours in banning the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.

"Given the Prime Minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burqa?" the former Tory councillor asked.

Her question prompted audible disquiet in the Commons, with cries of "shame" from fellow MPs. The prime minister declined to engage with the proposal, telling Pochin: "I am not going to follow her down that line."

However, the controversy deepened when Reform UK's chairman Zia Yusuf publicly distanced himself from the question on social media. "I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the prime minister if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do," he wrote on X.

Yusuf said he had "no idea" that Pochin would raise the issue and confirmed it was not party policy. "Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy. Busy with other stuff," he added.

The split became more apparent when other Reform figures offered conflicting views. Lee Anderson, the party's whip, supported the ban on social media, writing: "Ban the burqa? Yes we should. No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public."

Sarah Pochin (Photo: UK Parliament)

Party leader Nigel Farage later told GB News that he believed "face coverings in public don't make sense and I think we deserve a debate about that, of which I see the burqa being part."

The debate sparked heated discussion on LBC Radio, where journalist Khadija Khan supported the ban, describing the burqa as coming with a "misogynistic ideology" that "denigrates women". She called it a security and gender equality concern, criticising the prime minister's "dismissive" response as "staggering".

However, Muslim Yemeni activist Lila Tamea strongly opposed the proposal, telling LBC that "forcing people to uncover something they don't wish to uncover is outright totalitarian". She warned it was a "dangerous move" and a "slippery slope", arguing there was "deep misunderstanding" over the meaning of the veil.

Several European countries have implemented similar bans. France introduced its prohibition in 2010 under then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, with fines of 150 euros (£126) for wearing face coverings in public spaces. Belgium followed a year later, while Denmark, Austria and Switzerland have since adopted comparable laws.

Pochin later defended her question, saying it was something "a number of people had raised" with her since her election last month.