UKIP facing ridicule after pledging to ban the burka because it prevents Muslim women benefiting from Vitamin D in sunlight
Campaign promise was among a string of bizarre policies in leader Paul Nuttall’s election manifesto
UKIP faced ridicule after pledging to ban the burka because it prevents Muslim women benefiting from Vitamin D in sunlight.
It was among a string of bizarre policies in leader Paul Nuttall’s election manifesto.
Pledges to cut the number of pubs, cut VAT on takeaways, halve the number of MPs and call for a new dedicated British Hospital Ship – dubbed NOSH – to be deployed to “relieve” armed forces.
But the party also offered popular policies such as bringing back the navy British passport after Brexit – a move backed by The Sun.
The party’s manifesto states: “UKIP will take the opportunity to re-instate the classic blue passport when the British passport contract comes up for renewal in 2019.”
And Ukip also promised to radically slash Britain’s £13 billion a year foreign aid budget and divert £10 billion of the overseas aid budget to the NHS.
But its pledge to ban the wearing of the niqab and the burka attracted the most attention.
The party said face coverings are “barriers to integration” and said the party will “not accept these de-humanising symbols of segregation and oppression”.
And it went on to claim that wearing full face veils “prevents intake of essential vitamin D from sunlight”.
There were also concerns that Ukip’s plans would lead to pub closures after its manifesto pledged to bring in new laws to “reduce the density of alcohol outlets” and restrict trading times.