The Conservative leader is said to be mulling tougher action against Islamist extremism, with the Shadow Home Secretary and Shadow Justice Secretary.
Kemi Badenoch is understood to be pondering a Burka ban (Image: GETTY)
With Kemi Badenoch reportedly pondering the need for a nationwide burka ban, today Express.co.uk readers are being asked: is one needed? The Conservative leader is said to be mulling tougher action against Islamist extremism, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy examining the merits of prohibiting the full-body garment that covers the wearer from head to toe while leaving space for the eyes.
Mr Philp has raised concerns that the attire can hinder integration, divide communities and potentially encourage extremism. A ban would bring the Tories closer in line with Reform UK’s stance. Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf has described burkas as “un-British” in a western liberal democracy. He said it would be “disconcerting” to be unable to make eye contact with a shop assistant while paying for items at Tesco.
More than 20 countries have already introduced full or partial bans on burkas and other face coverings. These include France, which banned face coverings in public in 2011, as well as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and Bulgaria. Restrictions also exist in several other nations including Chad, Gabon, Senegal, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Mrs Badenoch has previously said she would not speak to women wearing burkas at her constituency surgeries and has argued that employers should be allowed to ban staff from wearing face coverings. She has described issues such as sharia courts as more insidious than clothing choices, while noting that women should generally be free to decide what they wear.
Her comments prompted former shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick to break ranks and say he would probably support a ban.
A shift by Mrs Badenoch would put the Conservatives at odds with Labour. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is herself a Muslim, has defended a woman’s right to choose what she wears. Both she and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are under pressure to retain Muslim voters following recent by-election challenges linked to Gaza and immigration.