A debate in the Senedd on full-face coverings became heated on Wednesday, with Reform UK accused of dog-whistle politics and its stance likened to the Nuremberg laws of 1930s Germany, GB News reports.
For Reform UK, Jason O'Connell said burkas and other face coverings, including balaclavas, raised concerns about women's freedom, public safety and integration, and called them anti-British. He rejected claims that his party was Islamophobic, saying it had no objection to the hijab and supported freedom of religion. Protesters gathered outside in Cardiff Bay.
Replying, the Deputy First Minister, Sioned Williams, said it was a sad day when members sought to divide Welsh communities. She argued that labelling religious dress as contrary to British values without showing any harm risked deepening division, and asked who should decide whether a woman wearing a face covering was less British or Welsh.
Source: GB News
