Reform UK’s newly announced London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham has come under fire after suggesting women who wear the burqa should be subject to police stop-and-search measures.
Speaking on a podcast, Cunningham argued that in an “open society” people should not cover their faces and claimed it should be assumed that those who do so may have criminal intent. She also said London should have “one civic culture” that is British, adding that some areas of the capital feel culturally different due to the visibility of Muslim communities.
Muslim groups and political figures swiftly condemned the remarks. Shaista Gohir, chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, described the comments as dangerous and warned they could fuel abuse against Muslim women, noting that very few women in Britain wear the burqa.
Labour MP Afzal Khan accused Cunningham of deliberately promoting divisive ideas for political gain, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan said attempts to pit communities against each other undermined the city’s strength, stressing that diversity and freedom of religion are core British values.
Cunningham, a former Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor, was confirmed as Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate last week. The party has previously sought to distance itself from calls for a nationwide burqa ban.
Speaking on a podcast, Cunningham argued that in an “open society” people should not cover their faces and claimed it should be assumed that those who do so may have criminal intent. She also said London should have “one civic culture” that is British, adding that some areas of the capital feel culturally different due to the visibility of Muslim communities.
Muslim groups and political figures swiftly condemned the remarks. Shaista Gohir, chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, described the comments as dangerous and warned they could fuel abuse against Muslim women, noting that very few women in Britain wear the burqa.
Labour MP Afzal Khan accused Cunningham of deliberately promoting divisive ideas for political gain, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan said attempts to pit communities against each other undermined the city’s strength, stressing that diversity and freedom of religion are core British values.
Cunningham, a former Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor, was confirmed as Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate last week. The party has previously sought to distance itself from calls for a nationwide burqa ban.
