Last week, new Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin made waves at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) by asking Keir Starmer if the UK should ban the burqa—even though that policy isn’t in Reform’s manifesto. MPs erupted in outrage. Here’s how it unfolded.
😲 Shocking PMQs question
Pochin, who squeaked home by six votes in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, took her turn at the dispatch box and blurted:
“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, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burqa?”
Her question left the Commons in stunned silence. A burqa ban is not Reform UK policy. The party even confirmed it “needs a national debate,” rather than an immediate clampdown.
😡 Starmer’s cool reply
Starmer paused, eyebrows raised, before responding:
“Can I welcome her to her place, but I’m not going to follow her down that line.”
He swiftly pivoted:
“Perhaps she could tell her new party leader that his latest plan—to bet £80bn of unfunded tax cuts—reminds us of Liz Truss all over again. Although, given she was a Tory when Truss led, I doubt she’ll.”
Ouch. Starmer’s jibe hinted Pochin once backed the Tories during Truss’s disastrous mini-Budget.
🇫🇷 European context—real or rhetorical?
Pochin cited bans in France, Denmark and Belgium as evidence. But she admitted she’d asked “questions from constituents,” not advocated a formal party line. In a pre-PMQs clip on X, she said:
“Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for the prime minister. I’ve chosen one and will be asking it just after 12 noon today.”
That sounded like a genuine local issue—but Commons reactions suggested many MPs saw it as a stunt.
💬 Reform UK’s awkward position
A Reform UK spokesman said:
“Banning the burqa is not party policy, but it needs a national debate, which is what the House is for.”
It’s rare for a freshly elected MP—especially one who unseated a Labour majority of 14,700—to raise a matter not in her party’s platform. But Pochin clearly wanted to spotlight an “issue of public safety.”
🏆 Tiny majority, big impact
Pochin’s six-vote win in Runcorn and Helsby last month triggered cheers for Reform UK, then led to this PMQs debut. Soon after she was sworn in, commentators wondered what she’d ask first. The answer? Possibly one of the most divisive topics in modern British politics.
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