Olivia Barber

1 day ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

The Muslim Council of Britain, the largest body representing British Muslims, has criticised Reform UK for using “hate to gain headlines” with its recent comments calling for a burqa ban. At PMQs on Wednesday, Sarah Pochin asked the prime minister whether he would ban the burqa “in the interests of public safety”. Pochin, who narrowly won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, faced criticism for asking a divisive question, instead of raising an issue that could help her constituents.

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Despite polling third behind the SNP and Reform in recent weeks, Labour pulled off a shock upset by winning the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election yesterday. Davy Russell, the constituency’s newly elected Member of the Scottish Parliament, used his acceptance speech to send a strong message to Reform. He first said that local people had been let down by the SNP, before saying: “This community has also sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight.

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Reform UK plunged into turmoil last night as chair Zia Yusuf and tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, a member of its new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), resigned over the party’s burqa ban policy. Meanwhile, pressure is piling on the party’s treasurer Nick Candy to deliver on his donation promises.

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Liz Truss is not happy about the shadow chancellor disowning her disastrous mini-budget. Truss blamed Mel Stride’s criticisms of her infamous 2022 mini-budget, which included £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts, on him being “a creature of the system”. In a speech today, Stride said that “mistakes were made” in the shortest serving Conservative prime minister’s mini budget, and that “fiscal credibility and responsibility was absent”.

3 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf has made it clear that banning the burqa is not official party policy, and that he disagreed with Sarah Pochin’s burqa ban question at PMQs. At PMQs yesterday, Pochin asked the prime minister if he would ban the burqa “in the interests of public safety”. Her question was met with audible groans from across the chamber. In a post on X, Yusuf said he had no idea Reform’s newest MP would ask Keir Starmer about banning the burqa at PMQs and described the question as “dumb”.