Yahoo News Ukip frontbencher quits over 'burka ban' as Paul Nuttall says policy came from Ukip members
One of the UK Independence Party's frontbench spokesmen has quit over the “misguided” plans by his party’s leader Paul Nuttall to ban burkas.
James Carver resigned as Ukip's foreign affairs spokesman, claiming that "no-one has the right to dictate what people should wear".
But Mr Nuttall - who is meets his party's MEPs in Brussels on Wednesday for the first time since the row broke out - defended the policy, telling The Telegraph that it had been first suggested by the party's "grassroots" members.
Mr Nuttall had launched the policy at a disastrous press conference on Monday which ended with him hiding from journalists in a central London hotel room and refusing to say if he will stand as a candidate at the June 8 general election.
Mr Carver, a West Midlands MEP, described the policy as "incompatible" with his desire to represent all of his constituents and to seek a global perspective for the United Kingdom.
Mr Carver said he “strongly disagreed” with a policy that he regarded as “misguided”.
He said: “I would be one of the first to condemn a ban on wearing a crucifix as an infringement of liberty. No-one has the right to dictate what people should wear.
“When facial identification is necessary, such as at passport controls, or in a bank, then it is perfectly reasonable to order the removal of veils - as is the practice - but in a free and liberal society, people have a right to their religious beliefs, and to dress as they see fit.”
Mr Nuttall said he was “disappointed but not surprised. Jim is a good longstanding member of Ukip – he has been a member for 21 years”.
The party’s membership backed the policy, he said: “The grassroots are 100 per cent behind us – in fact there has been pressure from the grassroots to go in this direction. This has been a ‘grassroots upwards’ move as opposed to a top down move.”
Ukip will choose hundreds of candidates for the election at meetings around the UK on Wednesday night. Mr Nuttall himself is set to decide whether to stand in the next 48 hours.
Arron Banks, the former Ukip donor, condemned the comments as a “war on Muslims”.
The Muslim Council of Britain's secretary general Harun Khan added it was “deeply regrettable” that Ukip had been “singling out Muslims in the most negative terms”
Mr Khan said: “This is not leadership. And it is certainly not becoming of a party seeking to represent British people.
“Together with fellow Britons, Muslims will be looking for true leadership that unites our country during this time of uncertain transition and seek to represent all British people, and certainly not scapegoat some.
“Bigots must not be allowed to set the terms of the debate.”
