Latest news with #Pochin
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Reform's Zia Yusuf grilled over MP with mug mocking Keir Starmer in hijab
Last week Zia Yusuf described a question by Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin as "dumb" and quit as party chairman - before returning to the party's ranks just 48 hours later Reform UK's ex-chairman Zia Yusuf has been confronted over one of the party's MPs holding a mug showing Keir Starmer in a hijab. The image of the newly elected Reform MP Sarah Pochin - shared by the anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate - was posted by LBC last week. It shows a mocked-up image of the Prime Minister in a headscarf used by Muslim women alongside the words "Two Tier Keir". Just last week Ms Pochin called on Mr Starmer to ban the burka - used to cover the face and body - in a move that caused chaos in Reform UK's ranks. Nigel Farage's party distanced itself from the question, confirming that a burka ban is "not party policy". They added there needs to be a "national debate" about it. But Zia Yusuf described the question by Ms Pochin as "dumb" and quit as party chairman last week - before returning to the party's ranks just 48 hours later. Pressed on the image of the MP holding the mug - portraying the PM in a hijab - Mr Yusuf claimed on the BBC Radio 4's Today that Ms Pochin is an "incredible MP". Last week Georgie Laming from Hope Not Hate said: 'This photo and Pochin's comments this week show her extreme anti-Muslim prejudice. The image on the mug has been shared widely in far right circles by extreme figures who use the image to suggest Labour is complicit in the islamification of Britain." But Mr Yusuf said: "I was instrumental in selecting her... I think she's a phenomenal asset to the party and the House of Commons." Quizzed on whether he was "comfortable" with the image, he said: "It's obvious she's laughing. I know Sarah incredibly well. I consider her a very close friend. So yes, I know who Sarah is." Defending the MP, he went on: "I think some of the things that are being characterised about a photo in the context of probably tens of thousands of photos that have been taken of her are complete mischaracterisation". During the interview, Mr Yusuf also said he regretted describing the MP's question to Mr Starmer on a burka ban last week as "dumb". Asked whether he stood by his view, he said: "The first thing I would say is I regret that tweet. "But let me be clear about what I meant by that. The question was asked in the House of Commons by Sarah who is a brilliant MP and then it was also made clear that would not be party policy. That's all I was stating, I was reflecting the party's position." He added: "To some degree I made this a bit of a storm in a teacup because I was exhausted." Ms Pochin has been contacted for comment.
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Calls to Ban Burqas in the UK Rekindle Debate Over Religious Freedom and Public Safety
Calls by British MPs to ban burqas have reignited public debate over the wearing of Islamic face veils in public spaces. The burqa, the most concealing of all Islamic veils, covers the face and body, typically leaving only a mesh screen for the wearer to see through. The renewed controversy was Starmer dismissed the suggestion, saying, 'I am not going to follow her down that line.' Pochin's proposal revealed internal divisions within Reform and opened the floodgates for broader political commentary. Party Chairman Zia Yusuf publicly criticised Pochin's question as Related Stories 1/2/2025 8/10/2018 He resigned on Thursday, citing that continuing in his role was no longer a 'good use of my time.' Other Reform MPs, however, backed Pochin's position. Richard Tice and They further Tice called for a 'national debate' and questioned whether burqa-wearing women were truly making a free choice. From the Conservative benches, Nick Timothy Advocacy group 'If you care about freedom, care about the women forced to wear the burqa. It's time to ban the burqa,' the group said. Zia Yusuf sits behind Sarah Pochin as she speaks at a Reform UK press conference in London on May 27, not all responses aligned with this view, as Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs pushed back. Lib Dem MP Joshua Reynolds Labour MP Mike Tapp Tapp added that if a woman is being forced to wear an item of clothing, 'then that's likely to be part of a bigger problem within that relationship.' He said the government is working to strengthen laws addressing violence against women and girls, including coercive control, making it as serious as physical abuse. The Muslim Council of Britain 'Instead, we will continue to focus on what matters to all Britons: the cost of living crisis, the strain on our NHS, and the need for unity, dignity, and real solutions,' it said. Recurring Debate in the UK This is far from the first time the UK has grappled with whether to regulate or ban Islamic face veils such as the burqa and niqab. While no nationwide ban has been enacted, the topic has surfaced periodically over the past two decades. The UK has repeatedly debated banning Islamic face veils like the burqa and niqab, but no national law has ever been passed. The issue gained attention in 2006, when then-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw publicly expressed discomfort with face veils, sparking national discussion and controversy. In 2013, Conservative MP Philip Hollobone introduced a bill to Local people protest following comments made by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson against the wearing of Burkas by Muslim women, outside the Hillingdon Conservative Association office in Uxbridge, England, on Aug. 9, issue resurfaced in 2018 when His remarks were widely condemned as Islamophobic, though he defended them as a critique of oppressive dress codes. Despite periodic calls for bans, successive UK governments have upheld the Currently, a Bans Across the Continent Several European nations have already implemented full or partial bans on face-covering garments such as the burqa, often citing national security, social cohesion, and secularism. France led the way in 2011 with a nationwide public ban. Austria, In Germany, while some states prohibit face veils in schools and public spaces, there is no nationwide ban on wearing them publicly. In 2021, the EU's highest court ruled against two Muslim women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs for wearing hijabs at work, saying employers may require employees not to wear religious clothing if they work in a job that deals with the public. These measures have However, governments argue they are essential for promoting open communication and safeguarding public order. According to the The group, which includes leading legal and community figures, is expected to present its recommendations by August 2025. PA Media contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zia Yusuf didn't leave Reform because he was a victim of racism
Zia Yusuf was billed by some as one of the rising stars of British politics – so his abrupt resignation as chairman of Reform UK has created quite a splash. Wading in with his typical opportunistic identitarianism, former leader of the SNP, Humza Yousaf, said on X that Yusuf's departure from Reform should serve as an example to all 'people of colour' – that the 'hard-right' would never accept them, even if they make sizeable financial donations. He added that it was no surprise that the insurgent challenger party of the Right eventually dispensed with their 'brown, son-of-an-immigrant, Muslim' party chairman. While there have been reports of Yusuf being sidelined within Reform for some time, the straw that broke the camel's back appears to be a disagreement between him and the party's newest MP, Sarah Pochin. In PMQs, the recently elected MP for Runcorn and Helsby asked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer whether he would entertain the possibility of introducing restrictions on the wearing of the burqa in the UK. Yusuf seemingly took issue with this by publicly rebuking Pochin on X. He said it was 'dumb' to argue for measures which were not official Reform policy. The writing was on the wall for Yusuf after the spat with Pochin. She is Reform's first female MP, and insulting her in public over a question in the Commons about banning the burqa – being a Muslim man – was political self-destruction and contradicted his own emphasis on 'professionalising' the party. The question itself was an entirely reasonable one. Morocco – a predominantly Muslim country where Sunni Islam is the state religion – banned the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of the burqa back in 2017. This was on the grounds of security considerations and part of a broader approach to combat Salafist influences in the North African country. If Yusuf was disappointed that certain procedures should have been followed by Pochin, this should have been discussed in private and he should have raised the importance of party discipline and order as chairman. This would have been responsible and professional chairmanship. While there is no doubt that Yusuf suffered a great amount of racist and anti-Muslim abuse from what the Reform leader Nigel Farage has labelled 'alt-right' trolls, a more plausible explanation for Yusuf's resignation is that he found the transition from business to politics difficult – and understandably so. In the world of business, he is unquestionably successful: he co-founded a luxury concierge company which was later sold to Capital One in a £233 million deal. But chairing a fledgling political party requires a greater degree of patience – especially when it comes to instilling organisational discipline and order as part of a broader professionalisation strategy. Whether it was restlessness, disillusionment, or clashing with other personalities, Yusuf the businessman had clearly grown frustrated in his political role. And nobody can blame him for that. While the likes of Humza Yousaf would love nothing more than to portray Zia Yusuf as a non-white Muslim victim of ethno-nationalist persecution, the reality is far more complicated. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf resigns after row over new MP's call for burqa ban
The chair of the right-wing Reform UK Party resigned from his role on Thursday after suggesting it was "dumb" of the party's newest MP to ask the prime minister if he would ban the burqa. Zia Yusuf, a party donor and millionaire businessman, said in a statement on X that he was resigning after less than a year in the job because he did not believe working to get a Reform government elected was a "good use" of his time. "I've worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results. "I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office," he added. 11 months ago I became Chairman of Reform. I've worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results. I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and… — Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) June 5, 2025 Sarah Pochin, who recently won a by-election in the UK constituency of Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes, had asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer in parliament on Wednesday to outlaw the burqa, a garment which covers the face and body and is worn by some Muslim women. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "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?" she asked. Her call was met with jeers from some MPs and Starmer refused to be drawn on the subject, instead attacking Pochin over her past association with the Conservative Party. Nigel Farage, the Reform Party's 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." However on Thursday, Yusuf distanced himself from Pochin's remarks, suggesting the question should not have been asked. "Nothing to do with me. Had no idea about the question nor that it wasn't policy. Busy with other stuff. I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do," he wrote on X. There's no reliable data on exactly how many Muslim women wear the burqa in the UK but estimates are incredibly low, with some suggesting it's less than one percent of the Muslim population. In 2011, the French secret service reported that out of the country's 4.7m Muslims, only 367 women wore the burqa - representing less than 0.04 percent of the Muslim population, and less than 0.003 percent of the general population. Following Yusuf's resignation, Farage said he was "genuinely sorry that Zia Yusuf has decided to stand down as Reform UK chairman." "As I said just last week, he was a huge factor in our success on May 1 and is an enormously talented person. Politics can be a highly pressured and difficult game and Zia has clearly had enough. He is a loss to us and public life," he said. Yusuf had clashed with one of the party's MPs, Rupert Lowe, earlier this year, which led to the parliamentarian's suspension amid allegations of threats. At the time, Yusuf faced a torrent of racist and Islamophobic abuse, with far-right commentator Laurence Fox saying "a Britain focused party cannot have a Mohammedan as the chair."
ITV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Reform infighting as chairman appears to call MPs' burqa ban question 'dumb'
Reform UK is being rocked by more infighting after the chairman said MP Sarah Pochin's first question at PMQs was "dumb" because it did not align with party policy. Parliament's newest MP, who recently won the Runcorn & Helsby by-election, urged the prime minister to "ban the burqa" in the interests of public safety. But the party has since made clear to other news outlets that there is no policy to ban the Islamic head covering, despite fellow MP Lee Anderson backing Pochin on social media. Anderson retweeted Pochin's post, writing "ban the burqa? Yes we should. No one should be allowed to hide their identity in public". But party chairman Zia Yusuf, who was hired to "professionalise" the party ahead of the next general election, hit out at his colleague's question. The businessman, who himself is Muslim, said the question had "nothing to do" with him, adding: "I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do." Reform party sources have suggested that he was not calling the question "dumb," but have not yet explained exactly what he meant. Party Leader Nigel Farage, whose past party, Ukip, did call for a burqa ban under his leadership, did not say a burqa ban was a Reform policy, but did say the issue should be debated. Appearing on GB News after PMQs on Wednesday, the Clacton MP said: "I think people do feel uncomfortable, actually, around people whose faces are covered". "I don't think face coverings in public places makes sense – and I think we do deserve a debate about that, of which I see the burka as being a part." Pochin had asked the prime minister to follow the example of other European nations which have outlawed the burqa. France introduced a ban in 2010, and several others have since followed, including Denmark and Belgium. Keir Starmer appeared to rule out a ban when responding to Pochin in the Commons chamber, saying he's "not going to follow her down that line". And a Labour Party spokesperson said: "Nigel Farage could fit all of his MPs in the back of a cab, yet he can't stop them fighting among themselves." It is, of course, not the first instance of infighting to hit the new party. Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe claims he was booted out for criticising Farage, but the party insisted the real reason was that he'd threatened chairman Yusuf with violence. The allegations against Lowe were reported to police, but officers said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. ITV News has contacted Reform UK for a response.
