Kemi Badenoch has criticised Reform UK MPs for supporting a burka ban, arguing that policing what people wear would be a waste of police time. The Conservative leader said she is against women being forced to wear clothing against their wishes, but described Reform's proposal as 'a policy without a plan'.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Badenoch questioned the practicality of enforcing such a ban. 'Are we going to send police officers into people's homes to check if they are wearing the burka at a time when we cannot even keep prisoners in prison?' she asked. 'Do we have space in prison to put people wearing the burka in?'
The row over the burka ban has divided Reform UK in recent days. Chairman Zia Yusuf briefly resigned after MP Sarah Pochin raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions. Other Reform MPs, including Lee Anderson and Richard Tice, have also backed a law restricting what women can wear.
Badenoch reiterated her opposition to forced wearing of religious garments but stopped short of supporting a full ban. At the weekend, she backed employers' rights to require staff to show their faces at work. She also revealed she will not see constituents wearing face coverings at her surgery in North East Essex.
