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Burka ban: People should 'show their face and communicate', Brooks claims
Jun 5, 2025
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin's call to "ban the Burka" in Britain has been fiercely supported by broadcaster Adam Brooks who declared the garment is a "security issue".Addressing the House of Commons with her first question to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the representative for Runcorn and Helsby asked if would consider a ban.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
I want your views on this first
0:02
Ban the burka, yes or no? Yes, I don't think anyone should be able to cover their face in public
0:08
I think it's a security issue. I was only in Oxford Street earlier
0:12
There were young youths in black puffer jackets and Covid masks. I don't think that should be allowed either
0:18
There's a real integration problem as well. I think humans should show their face
0:24
It's part of who we are. We communicate via our face and our emotions
0:30
You're right, you cannot integrate if you're not showing your face. And I do worry how many of these women are forced to do that
0:39
It's all right saying that many do choose to do it. I'm sure they do. But many are told they cannot show their face
0:45
What do you reckon, Mark? Well, it's interesting what you showed about those other European countries, Patrick
0:50
and I don't know the specifics of the law in each and every one of them. But what was banned was face coverings, right
0:55
Now, that seems to me ineminently reasonable. You can't walk into a bank wearing a balaclava or a motorcycle helmet
1:03
In courts of law, I think you need to see the whites of the eyes of people. Interesting cultural point that Adam raises as well
1:09
Generally, if you can't see each other and express facial expressions to each other, it's problematic
1:15
So I wouldn't go for the burqa per se, but I don't think that we should make exemptions
1:20
based on a particular religious preference for wearing a particular... You're right. The elegant solution is to batten all face coverings
1:28
in public places, isn't it? I think that would make sense. With obvious exceptions, like
1:34
it's minus 20, you know, and you can probably wear a balaclava there. But Nina, your take
1:39
on this now I must be quite surprised I understand you are in favour of a Birka ban I am because of these two good arguments here But I also find it very upsetting personally
1:51
when I see a woman with her face covered and no identity
1:56
no identity at all. And it may be that she's chosen because she's been brought up
2:00
in the custom and the culture and the religion, and that is a natural thing to her
2:05
I still find that very upsetting, because as a woman, I would like to be able to express myself
2:13
and be the person that I want to be. And I feel that there's a restriction on women like that
2:20
But as I say, obviously, there's the whole security thing. I mean, going through passport control, anything, a court of law
2:28
you've got to be able to identify people. We have got a massive problem with both unemployment
2:34
and integration in this country. And whilst some women who wear the full burqa do work
2:40
we've had cases, actually, that were deemed relatively controversial, where there was a female primary school teacher
2:44
who was in the full burqa, and some of the parents, and some of the pupils, the pupils were very young
2:48
some of them were a bit freaked out by it. That was just what their testimony was
2:54
and there was a bit of a hoo-ha about that, should she be allowed to wear the burqa in the classroom, all of that
2:58
So some of them do work. But I would look at this, Mark, and I would suggest
3:03
that if you are a woman in a full burqa in a lot of places, for example, you know
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parts of inner city Bradford and places like that. I'm not sure you're working as well
3:13
I think maybe there's a very patriarchal culture there where you are expected to cover up and stay at home
3:21
My God, I'm the pinko lefty on the panel. I didn't think this would ever... Look, if there's a suggestion
3:27
that any uniform is not being worn with consent, let's tackle it there and then
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