"I’m not going to follow her down that line."
Reform MP Sarah Pochin, who won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election on 1 May, used her first ever PMQ to ask if Keir Starmer will ban the burqa.
The former Tory asked: “Given the prime minister’s desire to strengthen strategic alignment with European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others, and ban the burqa?”.
Her question was met with audible groans from across the chamber, though one MP was heard saying “hear, hear.”
Starmer responded: “Can I welcome her to her place, but I’m not going to follow her down that line.”
Starmer then pivoted to talking about Nigel Farage’s economic plans. He said: “Now she is here, and safely in her place, perhaps she can tell her new party leader that his latest plan to spend £80 billion of unfunded tax cuts with no idea how he’s going to pay for it, is Liz Truss all over again.
“Although, considering I think she was a Conservative member when Liz Truss was leader, she probably won’t.”
Reform has distanced themselves from Pochin’s question, confirming that banning the burqa is “not party policy but it needs a national debate, which is what the House is for”.
On her X account, Pochin posted a video explaining that she had taken questions from constituents before deciding which one to raise at PMQs.
On social media, people have called Pochin’s question “disgraceful” and “divisive”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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