Prime Ministers Question Time - June 4th 2025

Big question this week: Should we ban the Burqua in the UK?
An MP from Nigel Farage's Party Reform UK, Sarah Pochin, asked the question.
A row has broken out in Reform UK after its newest MP called on the prime minister to ban the burqa, with the party’s chair, Zia Yusuf, saying it was a “dumb” question given that was not party policy.
Sarah Pochin, who recently won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection, asked Keir Starmer in parliament on Wednesday: “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?”

Her call was met with cries of “shame” from some MPs, and Reform later clarified it was not the party’s policy but that it could be part of a debate.

Nigel Farage, the party leader, also weighed in later on GB News, saying: “I don’t think face coverings in public places make sense, and we deserve a debate about this.”