Nigel Farage has called for full face coverings to be banned in public “once and for all” after masked protesters gathered for anti-migrant demonstrations.
The Reform UK leader labelled face coverings a “menace” and made clear he would ban any veil worn for religious reasons as well.
It comes after crowds of masked, black-clad men blocked road access to the Port of Dover on Saturday, in scenes which were condemned by politicians of all parties.
Overnight on Sunday, official vehicles were damaged and a handful of police officers were injured during a stand-off with masked protesters in Portsmouth.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage referenced the protesters on the south coast and said: “Now, I’m all for the protest. Plenty to protest about. But seriously, this is not the way to go about it.
“Because let’s be clear, face coverings are a menace. Whether it is a heavy-duty balaclava worn by a gang member or the dark mask of ‘Antifa’ extremists, their purpose is to bully and intimidate.”
He said seeing masked people in the streets should not be accepted as “part of modern Britain”.
The Clacton MP continued: “Reform UK is calling for a ban on all full-face coverings in public spaces. No ifs, no buts. And yes, that includes religious ones too.”
Earlier on Monday, Patriot Platform founder Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, an associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, confronted Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf, telling him Mr Farage needs to be “careful with his words”.
Interrupting an interview the home affairs spokesman was conducting, Mr Thomas accused Mr Farage of calling protesters at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London earlier in the year “knuckle-draggers”.
He continued: “I understand (Mr Farage) has to set a standard, which will basically be that you know he can’t just come out and say ‘everything’s great and these guys are fantastic’.
But Nigel needs to be very careful with his words.”
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Asked about a potential ban on GB News, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said he would not make Conservative policy “off the cuff”.
When pressed if it was “anti-British or un-British” to wear a face mask or have indeed a face covering in public, Mr Philp said: “It does make policing more difficult because you can’t identify who a person is.
“For example, using facial recognition or other technology, it can cause intimidation, and it can, in some circumstances, make people come across as either intimidating at protests, or just creates a sense of separateness. So there are, I think, there are serious issues to consider.
“Obviously, on the other side of the coin, you’ve got questions around civil liberty. So I’m not going to just answer off the cuff, but I think this is an issue that needs to be seriously looked at.”
Policing minister Sarah Jones blamed the Tories for “the frustration we see in our communities today”.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday afternoon, she branded Patriot Platform, which claims to have organised the protest in Dover, as “far-right racist”.
She also told MPs: “Let us never forget that the frustration we see in our communities today is a product of chaos and crisis in the years that preceded the general election of 2024.
“Since then, this Government has taken action to fix the broken system we inherited and bear down on the people smugglers.”
It comes as Labour-led Nottingham City Council confirmed face coverings will be banned across the city centre.
From September 15, police and community protection officers will be able to ask people to remove coverings if they “reasonably believe” they are being used to conceal their identity to commit crime or anti-social behaviour.
Anyone who does not cooperate could be issued with a £70 on-the-spot fine or face prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
Leader of Nottingham City Council Neghat Khan told the BBC: “Our residents should be able to live, work and spend time in Nottingham without feeling frightened or unsafe.
“That is why we are taking decisive action and becoming one of the first cities in the country to introduce a restriction of this kind.”
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