Latest news with #SarahPochin
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Once again, British politicians want to ‘ban the burqa'. But this time, I've never felt so afraid
Here we are again, debating the right of Muslim women to wear what they want. Last week, the Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin asked the prime minister, Keir Starmer, if he planned to follow other European countries and prohibit burqas. Then the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, called for bosses to be able to ban the burqa in the workplace. Following the example of the former Labour minister Jack Straw, who in 2006 sparked the first burqa debate by asking constituents at his surgeries to remove their face coverings, she stated that she does not see constituents at her surgeries if they have their faces covered, 'whether it's a burqa or a balaclava'. These comments from politicians hoping to appease rightwing voters have real repercussions for the safety of Muslim women like me. Muslim women, especially those who wear coverings ranging from the headscarf known as the hijab to the full body and face covering known as the burqa, have become a symbol in UK politics of migration and integration. They – or perhaps the perceived oppressive men in their lives – are outsiders who refuse to live by British values. When politicians call to ban the burqa, they position themselves as defenders of a way of life under threat from outside forces. The timing of this cannot be ignored. Reform, which triumphed at the recent local elections, warns in its manifesto that 'unchecked migration has pushed Britain to breaking point'. The Conservatives, keen to claw back any defecting voters, have positioned themselves as equally tough on immigration and integration. When our national leaders parrot catchy soundbites such as 'ban the burqa', what they are really doing is normalising Islamophobia by making it part of mainstream political conversations. Islamophobic incidents rose by 375% in the week after Boris Johnson called veiled Muslim women 'letterboxes' in 2018. As a visibly Muslim woman, I have never felt as afraid as I do right now. Last summer's far-right riots targeting mosques and calling for Muslims to be taken off the streets are etched into my mind. I was born in this country, it's my home, yet I can't shake a feeling of unease. The irony of this debacle is not lost on me. Last time I checked, Britain prided itself in not being the sort of country that told women how to dress. States that do dictate women's clothing (see: Iran) are vilified as misogynistic and ultra-controlling: the antithesis of the enlightened, liberal west. Why, then, is it OK for the government or corporations in Britain to interfere with the autonomy of women who happen to be Muslim? Of course, some will say that face coverings are inherently misogynistic, and so banning them is about protecting Muslim women. But why should politicians get to decide what is oppressive and what isn't, without ever really consulting us? It is disingenuous to pretend that Muslim women are uniquely prone to victimhood. Can we truthfully say anything about the way women are expected to live our lives isn't rooted in patriarchy? Whether it's the bikini or the push-up bra, miniskirts or high heels, as women we are conditioned to shape our identity under the watchful eye of the male gaze. But I'm sure you've heard all of this before, because yet again, here we are: Muslim women defending their right to choose how they exist in British society. What is really being obscured are more pressing issues: inequality, a lack of affordable housing, crumbling public services, a struggling NHS. This was as true in the early 2000s as it is now. Nadeine Asbali is a secondary school teacher in London and the author of Veiled Threat: On Being Visibly Muslim in Britain
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Nigel Farage says he has forgiven Zia Yusuf for resignation
Nigel Farage has said he has forgiven Zia Yusuf for his decision to quit as Reform UK chairman, but admitted the party was 'plunged' into a 'difficult place' by the incident. Businessman Mr Yusuf returned to the party over the weekend, just 48 hours after he quit his position, saying he had made an 'error'. Speaking in Port Talbot on Monday, Mr Farage said: 'Let's be clear, I think Zia's done a great job. 'Under enormous pressure, and by the way, a level of abuse – racist abuse online – unlike I think anybody in modern politics has ever had to put up with. 'He made a mistake, he got it wrong. It plunged us for a few hours into a difficult place. 'He expressed his regret to me, I forgave him. I did say 'don't do it again', but I forgave him.' Mr Farage went on to say that Mr Yusuf is coming back 'into a very very big job'. 'Would I rather those couple of days hadn't happened? Yes. But look how quickly and effectively we have dealt with it,' he added. Mr Yusuf's departure followed an internal row, in which he described a question asked to the Prime Minister by the party's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, about banning the burka as 'dumb'. Announcing his resignation on Thursday afternoon, he said: 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' Mr Yusuf said at the weekend that his decision to stand down had been due to 'exhaustion' after working for 11 months 'without a day off'. He said he had been left feeling undervalued by some in the party and drained after being subjected to relentless racist abuse on X, and made the comments in 'error'. 'I spoke to Nigel and said I don't mind saying I made an error. It was a function of exhaustion,' he told the Sunday Times. Asked about the row over talk of banning the burka, Mr Yusuf said he 'certainly did not resign because I have any strong views about the burka itself' but felt blindsided by Ms Pochin's question to Sir Keir Starmer. Mr Farage told the same newspaper that Mr Yusuf will now effectively be doing 'four jobs' for the party, although his title is yet to be decided. Mr Yusuf will lead Reform's plans to cut public spending – the so-called 'UK Doge', based on the US Department of Government Efficiency, which was led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. The former chairman will also take part in policymaking, fundraising and media appearances.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The new Reform chairman who used to be a TV presenter
A television presenter who made his name fronting a popular show about ghosts and the paranormal is to be unveiled tomorrow as Reform's new boss, the Mail can reveal. Dr David Bull, 56, who backs 'binning the burka', will replace Zia Yusuf whose resignation as chairman last Thursday threatened to plunge Nigel Farage 's party into chaos. The new chairman is a former hospital doctor who moved into broadcasting shortly after he qualified at London 's St Mary's Medical Hospital School in 1993. His most prominent presenting role was on paranormal reality TV show Most Haunted Live! The openly gay Dr Bull, 56, follows the Scottish born Yusuf, 38, who is the son of Sri Lankan Muslims. 'I think we are ticking the right diversity boxes,' joked one senior Reform figure today. Last week, Yusuf, a multi-millionaire businessman, provoked uproar when he criticised Reform's newest MP Sarah Pochin for calling for a burka ban in the Commons at Prime Minister's Questions . The next day Yusuf, 38, unexpectedly quit to the relief of many of his senior colleagues who found him difficult to work with. Unlike Yusuf, the new Reform chairman is an advocate of banning the burka, which he regards as an 'anti-British symbol'. Farage hopes the Bull appointment will calm the frayed nerves of many party members coming, as it does, just three months after the resignation of the Reform MP Rupert Lowe. He quit in protest at Farage's 'dictatorial' style of leadership. When Yusuf resigned on Thursday he said he no longer believed that working for Reform to win power at the next election was 'a good use of my time'. Many Reform senior figures feared he would deliver a devastating post-resignation interview but, in a bizarre twist, he instead announced on Saturday he was rejoining Reform only 48 hours after he quit. He is being put in charge of Reform's 'Doge' team, which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Trump in the US . Asked today why he had resigned as chairman, Yusuf told the BBC: 'I've been working pretty much non-stop, virtually no days off. It is very difficult to keep going at that pace.' Yusuf alienated many party members with his abrupt manner and controlling style of management. Arron Banks, a founder of Leave EU who is a close friend of Mr Farage, said that Yusuf was a 'control freak' who was 'prone to changing his mind frequently'. One party source said: 'Yusuf's new role will keep him out of party HQ as he will be visiting the county councils which we now run across the country to try to cut out waste. It will be a better use of his talents and energies.' There had been speculation that Ann Widdecombe, 77, the redoubtable former Tory prisons minister who defected to Mr Farage's side in 2019 , would be the new chairman. 'It's not Widdecombe even though she is very highly regarded,' said a source. Dr Bull, who is a presenter on the Rupert Murdoch channel Talk, is not wealthy like Yusuf, who netted £30 million from the sale of an upmarket concierge firm. Briefly a Brexit Party MEP, he is described by colleagues as collegiate and a team player. Before joining Farage's Brexit Party, Dr Bull was the Tory parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion when David Cameron was party leader. But he stood down in 2009 and headed up a policy review on sexual health. He published his first book, Cool And Celibate?: Sex And No Sex, arguing the benefits of abstinence for teenagers. A former anchor of the BBC current affairs programme Newsround, he presented Most Haunted Live! between 2002 and 2005. A Reform source said: 'He looks and sounds good and he's been out and proud for years so we have no worries about any skeletons in his closet.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nigel Farage says Zia Yusuf 'lost his rag' in row over 'daft' burka ban but has been 'forgiven' - as ex-Reform chair backs outlawing head coverings
Nigel Farage admitted former Reform chairman Zia Yusuf 'lost his rag' last week when he lashed out at a 'dumb' question by a party MP about a burka ban and then briefly quit. On a visit to Wales the party leader said Mr Yusuf was now 'very much back, and enthused' after barely 48 hours in the wilderness. Mr Farage admitted he was 'not exactly chuffed with what he had to say' when Mr Yusuf tweeted that Sarah Pochin's PMQs question about banning Islamic veils was 'dumb'. But he told reporters in Port Talbot that 'people make mistakes' and that Mr Yusuf 'said he was sorry and I have forgiven him.' Former banker Mr Yusuf has returned to Reform but in a lesser role leading its drive to cut local council waste. This morning he made a humiliating on-air apology for his role in the public row. He insisted his tweet 'did not criticise her as dumb' directly, and he had in fact only been saying her question was dumb. And the son of Sri Lankan Muslim immigrants said that if he was an MP he 'would be in favour of banning face coverings in public', even though he is generally 'queasy about banning things'. Mr Yusuf quit as chairman 24 hours after his criticism of Ms Pochin later, only to abruptly U-turn and return to the party ranks 48 hours later on Saturday. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme he reiterated that 'exhaustion led to a poor decision' to quit and that Ms Pochin was 'a tremendous MP (and) a phenomenal asset to the party and the House of Commons.' Announcing his resignation on Thursday afternoon, Mr Yusuf said: 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' Asked about the burka ban row he said at the time he 'certainly did not resign because I have any strong views about the burka itself' but felt blindsided by the question. Mr Yusuf told Today: 'If I was an MP I would think about it very deeply and I probably would be in favour of banning face coverings in public writ large, not just the burka – you know I have seen (masked) Antifa thugs threaten Nigel, threaten our employees and attack one of his security detail and knock a tooth out. Announcing his resignation on Thursday afternoon, Mr Yusuf said: 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' 'It's a very threatening thing and we live in dangerous times.' 'The thing that frustrated me at the time was that I did think at that moment that the best thing to do was to ask a question about something that would be policy. 'I'm very queasy and uneasy about banning things that would be, for example, unconstitutional in the United States, as I think it would be, but we have a very particular situation here in the UK, I would think about it very deeply but I probably would be in favour of a ban.' The ex-chairman will also take part in policymaking, fundraising and media appearances in his role leading the so-called 'UK Doge', based on the US Department of Government Efficiency formerly led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. He will be working alongside another millionaire, the Brexit backer Arron Banks, in councils run by Reform to route out supposed waste. Mr Banks, who stood as a Reform candidate in the local elections in May, said yesterday that Mr Yusuf's return was 'an inspirational move' that played to the strengths of someone who was 'a brilliant communicator with the media and a genius on tech'. However, on Friday night, after Mr Yusuf resigned, he was less complimentary, tweeting: 'Zia worked very hard but struggled with relationships and people. The corks will be popping in party HQ this evening.. Reform will power on …' Party leader Nigel Farage, speaking to the Sunday Times newspaper alongside Mr Yusuf, said the former chairman will return and effectively be doing 'four jobs', though his title has not yet been decided. Yesterday it was put to deputy leader Richard Tice that that it does not look very professional for Reform's chairman to be in, out, then back in again. He told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'Zia Yusuf has done a brilliant job in growing the party, creating huge infrastructure, over 400 branches, but it's a massive job and as we were growing incredibly fast, essentially that job was too much for one person, so we're reorganising, and I'm delighted that Zia is staying with the party, and he's going to be focusing on our Doge unit. 'There is so much waste you've been talking about, how does the Government find more money? 'Well, the best thing is to stop wasting money. I'm afraid, what we're discovering as we look under the bonnet of the 10 councils that we are now in control of, is there's waste everywhere, and it's got to stop. 'That's what Zia is going to focus on, as well as fundraising. So it's great news he's with us.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Zia Yusuf: Reform UK burka row is 'storm in a teacup'
Former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf has called a row over a social media post - in which he said it was "dumb" for one of his MPs to call for a burka ban - a "storm in a teacup". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Yusuf said he regretted the post and that "exhaustion led to a poor decision". Shortly after criticising MP Sarah Pochin, Yusuf quit as chairman saying that trying to get Reform UK elected was not "a good use of my time".However, two days later he returned to work for the party albeit in a different role, leading the party's Doge unit, a team inspired by the US Department of Government Efficiency, set up by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The initiative aims to cut wasteful spending in the councils Reform now why he had resigned as chairman, Yusuf said: "I've been working pretty much non-stop, virtually no days off."It is very difficult to keep going at that pace."He said one of the reasons he had "changed his decision so quickly" and returned to work for the party, was that he had been "inundated" by supportive messages from Reform voters and members. The series of events began last Wednesday when Pochin, the newly-elected MP for Runcorn and Helsby, asked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer if he would join France and Denmark in banning the burka, a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face and body, "in the interests of public safety".The following day Yusuf, who is a Muslim, posted on X: "I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do".Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Yusuf said "the thing that frustrated me at the time" was that Pochin had not chosen to ask something that was party for his views on a ban, he said: "If I was an MP I would think about it very deeply, I think I probably would be in favour of banning face coverings in public writ large, not just the burka."I'm very queasy and uneasy about banning things that for example would be unconstitutional in the US but we have a particular situation in the UK."He said he did not believe Islam was "a threat to the country" but added that the UK had "a problem with assimilation". Over the weekend, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was also asked her views on banning the burka. She told the Telegraph: "People should be allowed to wear whatever they want, not what their husband is asking them to wear or what their community says that they should wear."However, she said that organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear and that she asked people coming to her constituency surgeries to remove face coverings "whether it's a burka or a balaclava". "I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face," she Muslim Council of Britain accused her of "desperation" adding: "Kemi Badenoch isn't setting the agenda - she's scrambling to keep up with Reform UK's divisive rhetoric."
