In her first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Sarah Pochin, Reform UK’s newest Member of Parliament, demanded a national ban on the burqa, sparking internal strife. Zia Yusuf, the party chairman, publicly criticised the proposal, exposing divisions inside the party.
On June 4, 2025, Pochin, speaking on behalf of Runcorn and Helsby, asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer if the UK would follow in the footsteps of nations like France, Belgium, and Denmark and outlaw the burqa for public safety. Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the opportunity to criticise Reform UK’s economic ideas and rejected Pochin’s suggestion, stating he would not follow her down that path.
The following day, Yusuf distanced the party from Pochin’s remarks, labelling the question as “dumb” on social media. He emphasised that the proposal was not party policy, and he had no prior knowledge of Pochin’s intent to raise the issue.
Asked on Wednesday evening about Sarah Pochin’s remarks regarding a potential burqa ban, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested he would be open to a wider discussion around the use of face coverings in public spaces.
Speaking to GB News, Farage said, “I think this conversation goes well beyond just the burqa.” He recounted a recent incident in Aberdeen, where he was met by protesters affiliated with Antifa. “About half of them had their faces completely covered, making them impossible to identify,” he noted.
