Britain Backs Burka Ban as Voters Crave Tougher Lines

Britain has signalled it is ready to follow its European neighbours and ban the burka. By a clear three-to-two margin the country said yes to outlawing the garment, treating the drift already seen in France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and now Portugal as a cue rather than a warning.

The verdicts

On immigration the chamber found rare near-unanimity. Should we deport foreign nationals convicted of any imprisonable offence within 5 years of arrival? passed by more than four to one, with every age group and both sexes in agreement.

Voters proved far more wary of handing the state extra powers over politics. Should the UK allow the banning of political parties based on extremist ideology? was rejected by a solid 22-point margin, though the youngest cohort showed some appetite for the German-style measure.

Should the UK further develop its nuclear capability for defence? secured a yes by the same three-to-two split that carried the burka vote, yet the oldest voters broke against it, preventing any sense of overwhelming consensus.

Rail enthusiasts carried the day on transport. Should the Northumberland line railway expand to include Morpeth, Cramlington or even Edinburgh? won by a landslide, though the narrow no-camp commentary suggested the real argument was about which direction that growth should take.

Finally, Britain remains evenly split on the size of the state. Is the UK now a nanny state? produced the narrowest of coin-flip verdicts, with a wafer-thin majority agreeing the state has overreached since the days of the sugar tax and the smoking ban.

Voting continues today.

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