Burka ban 'not our policy', says senior Tory MP, after calls by Robert Jenrick

A prohibition connected the burka is "not our argumentation arsenic a party", the Conservative shadiness chancellor has told Sky News, contempt Robert Jenrick saying yesterday that it should beryllium banned.

Sir Mel Stride suggested that determination are circumstances wherever a prohibition connected afloat look coverings arsenic a full would beryllium permissible, and denied that calling specifically for a prohibition connected the burka is "anti-British", defending Mr Jenrick's comments.

The shadiness chancellor is the latest to measurement successful connected the enactment aft Mr Jenrick said connected Tuesday that helium would "probably prohibition the burka" - an Islamic veil that covers the full assemblage and face, often leaving conscionable a mesh surface to spot through.

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Asked astir his colleague's comments, Sir Mel told Sky's Kamali Melbourne: "It's not our argumentation arsenic a enactment to prohibition the burka.

"But I bash recognise, and Kemi [Badenoch] recognises also, that determination are circumstances successful which it is perfectly tenable to necessitate somebody, for example, to not beryllium covering their full face."

He said the workplace is simply a cardinal illustration of wherever a prohibition connected immoderate benignant of look covering would beryllium permissible successful his view, and said that during meetings with MPs, members of the nationalist "should beryllium asked to place who they are".

It comes aft Mr Jenrick, the shadiness justness secretary, told Talk that helium was successful favour of a ban.

"I deliberation there's decidedly a beardown statement for it. There are basal values successful this country, and we should basal up and support them," helium said.

"And wherever you're seeing them fraying astatine the edges, oregon frankly being wholly destroyed - whether it's sharia courts, oregon the wearing of the burka - these are issues we're going to person to face if we're going to physique the benignant of nine we privation to manus connected to our kids and grandkids."

Melbourne asked Sir Mel astir Tory enactment seat Kevin Hollinrake's remark that a prohibition connected the burka is not the party's argumentation "yet", and that helium would enactment it, but helium dodged the question, saying: "I deliberation everyone's expressing a idiosyncratic view, and that's fine."

The shadiness chancellor besides defended Mr Jenrick, rejecting disapproval from immoderate that his comments were "anti-British".

"I don't deliberation he's being anti-British astatine all," Sir Mel said.

"I deliberation he's acrophobic astir integration and that arsenic a culture, British culture, that we get connected good unneurotic crossed our assorted communities. And I deliberation that's a precise British happening to privation to spot happen."

'My instincts are not to prohibition things'

There appears to beryllium yet further disagreement successful Mrs Badenoch's apical squad astir a prohibition connected the burka, with the shadiness communities caput expressing an absorption to it this morning.

Sir James Cleverly told Talk: "I americium a freedom-loving conservative. My instincts are not to prohibition things. And besides what I don't privation to bash is interruption our longstanding contented of state of religion."

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The erstwhile location caput argued that the "broader point" Mr Jenrick was making is that helium wants to guarantee "everybody plays by the aforesaid rules", and truthful "when radical speech astir banning the burka, I deliberation they're utilizing that arsenic a shorthand for having radical subscribe to the rules, and laws, and norms of the UK".

But elder Labour MP Diane Abbott was unimpressed by the full row, penning connected X: "The long-established presumption is that women should determine what they wear. No-one else."

Of the shadiness justness secretary, she added: "Perhaps immoderate of Robert Jenrick's colleagues should resistance him into the 20th century. Any further mightiness beryllium excessively overmuch to ask."

'Burka astir apt anti-British'

The statement implicit banning the burka, which has been implemented successful immoderate European countries, was triggered erstwhile Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked Sir Keir Starmer to instrumentality 1 successful June.

It led to a enactment with the party's present caput of policy, Zia Yusuf, who described the question arsenic "dumb". He resigned and past rejoined the enactment squad wrong a substance of days.

Nigel Farage was asked astir his presumption days later, and helium said that for him, it is simply a question of "priorities".

"I don't similar to spot the burka," the Reform UK person said.

"It astir apt is anti-British successful the consciousness that [...] I don't cognize if they're being forced to screen up. That is not a bully and affirmative thing.

"But is it perfectly beforehand and centre of what we're going to run for? Not fixed the different large crises we face."

But helium went connected to accidental that determination is simply a "broader debate" to beryllium had astir look coverings, questioning whether protesters should beryllium allowed to deterioration them.

Sky News has contacted the Conservative Party for clarification connected what their authoritative presumption is.