Reform’s deputy leader has doubled down on calls for a debate on whether burqas should be banned in Britain after a furious row over the issue saw the party’s chairman quit.
Zia Yusuf resigned on Thursday after describing a call from the party’s newest MP to ban the burqa as “dumb”.
Speaking as he entered the count for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood by-election, Richard Tice said MPs should “discuss” a potential ban.
“Let’s have a discussion about these things, all these important issues, as opposed to not discussing anything, smearing and labelling,” he said.
Pressed on his personal view amid chaotic scenes, Mr Tice said there should be a “national debate”.
And, asked if Mr Yusuf’s resignation implied the party was racist, the Boston and Skegness MP said: “With the greatest of respect, that’s nonsense.”
It came after the new Runcorn and Helsby MP Sarch Pochin used her first Prime Minister’s Questions question to call on Sir Keir to ban burqas “in the interest of public safety”.
She said: “Given the prime minister’s desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interest of public safety, follow the lead of France, Belgium, Denmark and others and ban the burqa?”
Sir Keir welcomed Ms Pochin to the Commons, but said “I am not going to follow her down that line”.
A Reform spokesman later clarified that banning burqas was not party policy, sparking calls from the far-right for Mr Farage to adopt the proposals.
Later, Mr Yusuf said it was “dumb for a party to ask the prime minister if they would do something the party itself wouldn’t do”.
He quit the party on Thursday saying “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office”.
Asked on Wednesday night about Ms Pochin’s comments on the burqa, party leader Nigel Farage also said he would welcome a broader debate about face coverings in public.
He told GB News: “I think this debate actually goes beyond the burqa… I was in Aberdeen Monday, there was a mob there to meet me, an organisation called Antifa, and half of them had complete face coverings on so they would be unidentifiable.
“I don't think face coverings in public places make sense, and I think we do deserve debate about that, which I see the burqa as being a part.”
Denying his party was “in chaos”, Mr Tice paid tribute to the outgoing former chairman.
“As Nigel’s said, as I’ve said, we’re very sad that Zia has resigned,” he said.
“He’s worked incredibly hard, he’s been instrumental in driving the party forward.
“One of the reasons that this result could be really close – who knows which way it will go – is because of the success of what Zia has achieved.”
He added: “It’s very sad, politics is difficult, it’s time-consuming, but he’s worked incredibly hard.”
