Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is evaluating a potential burka ban as a measure against Islamic extremism. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy are examining the policy’s benefits within a broader review of Islamist concerns.

Potential Policy Shift

Adopting such a ban would mark a reversal from Badenoch’s earlier views. Nine months ago, during a BBC Radio 4 interview, she rejected an outright prohibition, citing enforcement challenges. She stated: “I don’t think women should be forced to wear things that their husbands or their communities want. If you have segregated societies, those things happen. But what I’m not doing is announcing that I’m going to ban the burka. Are we going to send police officers into people’s homes to check if they’re wearing the burka at a time when we can’t even keep prisoners in prison? Do we have space in prison to put people wearing the burka in there? This is what I mean by people just saying things, announcing policies without plans.”

Concerns Over the Garment

Philp views the burka, which covers a woman’s body except for the eyes, as divisive. He believes it fosters extremism and hinders social integration.

Alignment with Reform and Labour Divide

This approach aligns with Reform’s stance, where home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf advocates banning all face coverings, including burkas and balaclavas, in public spaces. It contrasts sharply with Labour’s position ahead of May local elections. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the first Muslim woman in that role, maintains that the government should not dictate citizens’ clothing choices.

International Bans

Numerous Western nations enforce partial or full burka bans, including France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, and Bulgaria. France’s ban gained approval from the European Court of Human Rights, which upheld arguments that face coverings undermine women’s dignity, clash with secular values, and threaten social cohesion. The court determined the measure protects others’ rights without violating the European Convention on Human Rights.

Countries with large Muslim populations, such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, have also imposed bans primarily for security reasons.