On the Record: Laila Cunningham

CLA · On the Record

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Reform UK — London Chair

“It has to be assumed that if you’re hiding your face, you’re hiding it for a criminal reason.”

Context

Cunningham proposed that wearing a burqa should itself justify police stop-and-search and also said parts of London felt like a “Muslim city”.

Evidence

Source: Evening Standard interview
Evidence status: Established-media direct quotation.
Legal status: Policy proposal; no finding of unlawful conduct is asserted.
Last reviewed: 7 October 2026


About On the Record

On the Record is Civil Liberties Action’s public archive of consequential statements made by people and organisations influencing British public life. Inclusion is not an allegation of illegality. We publish the source, context and legal status so readers can judge the evidence themselves.

Source checked · Context preserved · Evidence available.