A fiery debate in the Welsh Parliament exposed deep political divides after Reform UK members demanded an end to full-face coverings on British streets.
Shouts and finger-pointing erupted across the Senedd chamber on Wednesday night as Reform UK politicians called for a ban on religious face coverings and balaclavas.
The party argued that garments like the burka allow individuals to conceal their identities, undermining accountability in public life.
Streets made unsafe by face coverings
Opening the discussion in a crowded chamber, Reform MS for Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr Jason O’Connell drew attention to anti-social behaviour in Welsh towns.
He described how young men wearing masks on illegal e-bikes cause disruption across the region.
Jason O’Connell said:
“From Newport to Rhyl, balaclava-clad young men, often dangerously riding illegal e-bikes, have been fuelling anti-social behaviour and making our streets feel unsafe,”
He criticized government inaction across the United Kingdom.
Jason O’Connell added:
“And while governments across the UK turn a blind eye to this, Reform says enough is enough now, face coverings have no place in British and Welsh society.”
Turning to religious veils such as the burka, O’Connell maintained that the party holds no animosity towards Muslims.
Jason O’Connell stated:
“We have no issue or problem with Islam or Muslims.”
He told the chamber that the issue rests with people hiding their identities in public spaces.
Jason O’Connell said:
“We do have an issue with people living amongst our communities hiding their identities.”
He added that the rule should apply equally to political protesters.
Jason O’Connell said:
“We say the same thing to protesters that cover their face, whatever their political persuasion.”
Integration demanded as Reform targets alien cultures
Reform MS Francesca O’Brien told the Senedd that full-face coverings were incompatible with British heritage.
Not all cultures are equal, we cannot continue to import alien cultures into this country and expect integration.
Francesca O’Brien, Reform MS
She argued that oppressive customs run counter to national tradition.
Francesca O’Brien said:
“Oppressive beliefs are totally at odds with our history and culture.”
She declared:
“Banning these coverings is simple, common sense.”
Reform MS Joe Martin warned that veils like the burka and niqab represent how fundamentalist Islam clashes with Western civilization.
He pointed out the practical difficulty of recognizing people in local communities.
Joe Martin said:
“We can’t even see the faces of thousands of people who’ve moved here. If two Muslim women live in the same street and they both wear burkas, how are we meant to tell them apart?”
He urged a complete ban to promote integration.
Joe Martin said:
“Assimilation means losing religious face coverings and to encourage that they should be banned.”
Nuremberg comparison sparks furious chamber backlash
The debate took an aggressive turn when Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams responded on behalf of the Welsh Government.
Williams sparked furious outrage on the Reform benches when she referenced 1930s Nazi Germany.
Sioned Williams said:
“The Jewish people of 1930s Germany were subject to the Nuremberg Laws, which stated they were no longer German, laws which led to their persecution and extermination by the state that stripped them of the Germaness.”
She asked:
“Who decides that a woman who [has] a face covering is less British or less Welsh?”
Angry shouts and gesturing followed from Reform members, leading to a formal point of order over whether her rhetoric was permissible.
Presiding Officer Huw Irranca-Davies said he would review the record of proceedings, while Williams maintained her comments were factual.
Establishment figures launch attacks on Reform debate
Plaid Cymru and Labour politicians joined outside activists in fiercely condemning the proposal.
Plaid MS Carrie Harper challenged Reform’s claim to defend women while attempting to dictate their clothing.
Plaid MS Kiera Marshall reported that a Muslim woman in her constituency suffered a violent physical assault in daylight over her headscarf.
Protesters gathered on the Senedd steps ahead of the session, joined later by Plaid Cymru and Labour members.
Cardiff protester Suwayba Hussein said:
“The Reform party are a racist party, and this is another way of them pushing their racism into mainstream debate.”
Dr Abdul Azim Ahmed of the Muslim Council of Wales criticized what he called ultra-nationalist attitudes regarding culture.
O’Connell rejected all allegations of prejudice, describing accusations of racism and Islamophobia as “tired, ineffective, and clearly wildly inaccurate”.
Powers lacking for immediate parliamentary action
Despite the heated exchanges, no vote was held at the conclusion of the session.
The Senedd currently lacks the legal powers to enforce a public ban on face coverings.
However, Reform UK has committed to introducing a nationwide public ban on burkas and balaclavas if it wins power at Westminster.