Kemi Badenoch has revealed she refuses to meet or speak to constituents who cover their faces as she backed allowing bosses to ban female staff from wearing burkas.
The Conservative leader said she had a rule at surgeries in her North West Essex constituency that 'you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burka or a balaclava'.
It came as she backed allowing office managers to bar staff from wearing the traditional Islamic robe for women, which has only a transparent veil allowing them to see.
However she stepped back from the idea of a nationwide ban on the garment, saying there were bigger issues when it came to integration.
Her remarks came after Reform's chairman Zia Yusuf quit following a row over the subject after his colleague MP Sarah Pochin urged the Prime Minister to ban the burka 'in the interests of public safety'- before rejoining on Saturday night.
