UK's far-right party focuses on burqa ban in campaign
Eurosceptic party UKIP says election campaign move is not an attack on Muslims, but about integration
- World
- Published Date: 12:00 | 24 April 2017
- Modified Date: 11:11 | 24 April 2017
The far-right UK Independence Party (UKIP) said it would pursue a ban on burqa in their party manifesto, which is expected to be published on Monday, according to the party leader on Sunday.
Paul Nuttal told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show the party will also target Sharia rule in Britain as part of their campaign.
"We have a heightened security risk at the moment and for CCTV to be effective you need to see people's faces," Nuttal said.
"Secondly, there's the issue of integration. I don't believe you can integrate fully and enjoy the fruits of British society if you can't see people's faces," he added.
Nuttal said the party's policies were not singling out Muslims. About the ban on Shaira, he said there were no similar proposals to ban Jewish religious courts because the Jewish population was smaller than the Muslim population.
"Integration is actually getting worse in Britain at the moment, not better. This [burqa ban] will help," he said.
"This isn't an attack on specifically on Muslims, it's all about integration," he added.