Kemi Badenoch says bosses should have right to forbid staff from wearing burkas and bans face coverings in her surgeries (0.01702127659574468)

<iframe frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://www.gbnews.com/res/scraper/embed/?video_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmm-v2.simplestream.com%2Fiframe%2Fplayer.php%3Fkey%3D3Li3Nt2Qs8Ct3Xq9Fi5Uy0Mb2Bj0Qs%26player%3DGB003%26uvid%3D52920045%26type%3Dvod%26viously_id%3DGdlzMAGJomO" width="100%"></iframe><br/><p>Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has declared that employers should have the authority to prohibit staff from wearing burkas and other face coverings at work.</p><p>The Tory leader revealed she enforces a strict policy at her own constituency surgeries, refusing entry to anyone wearing face veils. </p><h3></h3><br/><p>She stated: "If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burka or a balaclava.</p><p>"I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face, and I also believe that other people should have that control."</p><h3></h3><br/><img alt="Kemi Badenoch" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cbb930e71e350c69b3f03cecee1b4f1b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="b5983" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/kemi-badenoch.jpg?id=60655478&width=980"/><h3></h3><br/><div class="embed-latest"></div><p>She argued that "organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear; it shouldn't be something that people should be able to override."</p><p>Badenoch identified what she called more "insidious" barriers to integration than face coverings, citing sharia courts and first-cousin marriage as greater concerns.</p><p>"If you were to ask me where you start with integration sharia courts, all of this nonsense sectarianism, things like first-cousin marriage there's a whole heap of stuff that is far more insidious and that breeds more problems," she said.</p><p>The Conservative leader rejected calls for a nationwide burka ban, pointing to France's experience.</p><p> "France has a ban and they have worse problems than we do in this country on integration. So banning the burka clearly is not the thing that's going to fix things," she argued.</p><h3></h3><br/><div class="embed-mostread"></div><p><strong>LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/politics/zia-yusuf-dramatic-resignation-online-abuse" target="_self">Zia Yusuf received 'tonnes of online abuse' ahead of dramatic resignation: 'Vile and horrible!'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/money/pension-economy-labour-rachel-reeves" target="_self">Pension system overhaul to boost economy by 'fraction' of Labour forecast in blow to Rachel Reeves</a></li><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/politics/usa-warns-uk-not-allow-chinese-embassy-near-city" target="_self">US warns Britain not to allow Chinese 'super-embassy' near London's financial centres</a></li></ul><h3></h3><br/><img alt="A burka" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f70d36b4fe0ea3759025076126794c49" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ad7a6" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/a-burka.jpg?id=50598972&width=980"/><h3></h3><br/><div class="embed-dontmiss"></div><p>She also raised concerns about police resources, suggesting that enforcing such a ban would create an additional burden on law enforcement.</p><p>Badenoch issued a stark warning to moderate Conservatives who might oppose her commission examining withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.</p><p>The Lawfare Commission will report its findings by October's party conference. </p><p>Badenoch made clear that supporting ECHR withdrawal would become mandatory for Conservative parliamentary candidates.</p><h3></h3><br/><img alt="Sarah Pochin" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="75aab120ea6113d000c4bfee5b149715" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="8e147" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/sarah-pochin.png?id=60447834&width=980"/><h3></h3><br/><p>She added: "If we make that decision that we have to leave the ECHR, then that will be a condition of standing for Parliament under the Tory banner.</p><p>"I'm afraid anybody who disagrees with that policy cannot and should not stand for Parliament as a Conservative MP."</p><p><span></span>During a Friday speech, she revealed her belief that Britain "will likely need to leave" the ECHR to regain control of immigration.</p><p>She also expressed openness to digital ID cards if they would help tackle illegal migration.</p>