Muslim London Mayoral Candidate Laila Cunningham’s Proposal to Stop and Check Women Wearing Burqas Sparks Criticism

Key Points:

On January 7, 2026, Reform UK, a right-wing political party in the United Kingdom, announced its candidate for the 2028 mayoral election—Laila Cunningham. Following the announcement of her candidacy, Cunningham stepped into controversy over her comments on the burqa, an outer garment worn by Muslim women.

The right-wing politician stated that Muslim women wearing burqas should be subjected to security checks. She remarked that concealing one’s face could indicate that a person may be hiding it for criminal reasons. According to Cunningham, society is open, and no person living in it should ever cover their face.

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Her comments invited widespread criticism, with many claiming that the proposal could amount to an indirect attack on the safety of the Muslim women. She made these remarks during an interview on the Standard podcast, where she also stated that parts of London resembled a Muslim city.

According to a report by The Guardian, the Muslim population in the United Kingdom is expected to rise to 5.6 million by 2030. The 2021 census by the UK’s Office for National Statistics reported that more than 3 million people living in England and Wales are Muslims. Cunningham’s comments on the rising Muslim population in London drew sharp criticism from British politician and current London mayor Sadiq Khan.

The mayoral candidate emphasized that London should have one overarching culture, which she described as “British culture.” She further expressed her disapproval of parts of London becoming, and feeling like, a Muslim city. “If you go to parts of London, it does feel like a Muslim city. The signs are written in a different language. You’ve got burqas being sold in markets,” said Cunningham.

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Responding to her remarks, Sadiq Khan stated that her proposal to stop and search women wearing burqas could be found offensive by many Londoners.

He said, “The idea that you can stop and search somebody because of the clothes they wear, something all Londoners would find offensive.” Many critics described Cunningham’s statements as hostile and dangerous, arguing that her proposal aims to isolate Muslim women who wear burqas.

Women’s rights campaigner and leader of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, Shaista Gohir, stated that the charity had to remove photographs of its staff from outside its offices due to a rise in abusive and threatening letters and emails.

Gohir further questioned Cunningham’s politics, asking why she chose to focus on burqa-wearing women in London—who make up a relatively small proportion of the population instead of addressing issues such as the cost of living. “Is she going to get the police to arrest wealthy burqa-wearing visitors in Harrods, or is it just women in Whitechapel?” Gohir asked.

Cunningham is a Muslim woman who was born in Paddington, London. Her parents were of Egyptian origin and migrated to the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Before entering politics, the 2028 mayoral candidate was a practising advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the agency responsible for criminal prosecutions.

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