Ukip has been accused of stereotyping and bigotry, as one of the party’s own backers accused them of going to ‘war’ with Muslims.

With Brexit already underway, the party’s raison d’etre is under threat – so they decided to focus on ‘the Integration Agenda’ in the general election instead.

Government 'sending people to Isle of Wight on ferries' for coronavirus tests

They launched a document focused on attacking Islam, pledging to ban burkas, shut down sharia councils, check schoolgirls’ genitals for FGM and give harsher punishments if victims of grooming gangs ‘are of a different racial or religious group’.

Businessman Arron Banks, a former donor, said the party was going in ‘entirely the wrong direction’.




‘I don’t approve of the war on Muslim religion,’ he said.

Not sure campaigning with the national party going in entirely the wrong direction is smart. I don't approve of the war on Muslim religion https://t.co/BcKQtka2yW — Arron Banks (@Arron_banks) April 25, 2017

Party leader Paul Nuttall claimed the party was ten years ahead of its time.

However, the Muslim Council of Britain described their attempts at policy as ‘deeply regrettable’, saying the narrow focus showed their stereotypical view reducing British Muslims to ‘bombs, beards and burkas’.

In a speech later on, secretary general Harun Khan will say: ‘It is deeply regrettable that the UK Independence Party is singling out Muslims in the most negative terms.’

Ukip pledged to ban burkas (Picture: PA)

Defending the party, deputy leader Peter Whittle told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We have talked about these issues in Ukip for many years – 2010 we actually had this in our manifesto, that we should ban face coverings – not, for example the headscarf, not those sorts of things at all, just purely the face covering, because we believe that is a literal barrier to integration in our society.

‘We are actually in this country rather behind the curve on this, because even the biggest party in the EU has called for an EU-wide ban on this.’

Ukip had to clarify that beekeepers and people in large hats would be exempt.

So let's get this right@UKIP want to protect Muslim women by controlling what we wear, where we study & how we think pic.twitter.com/ZMwCwMVMfb — Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) April 24, 2017

But Ukip will be strongly condemned by the Muslim Council of Britain’s secretary general Harun Khan.

In a speech to a Muslim leadership dinner, he will say: ‘Bigots must not be allowed to set the terms of the debate.

‘Due to the scourge of terrorism that we all oppose, bigots are obsessed with sharia law, keen to question our loyalty to our country and refuse to accept us Muslims as equal citizens of this nation.’

Mr Khan will raise fears about the way Muslims will be treated during the General Election campaign.

Forcing girls at risk of #FGM to have medical checks in an abuse of their human rights. #Ukip are not just wrong but offensive as well. — Nimko Ali (@NimkoAli) April 24, 2017

‘When it comes to public policy, we Muslims seem to be boxed into the narrative of bombs, beards and burkas,’ he will say.

‘Instead, we Muslims insist that our story is one of faith, freedom and fairness.

‘I urge our politicians, and the media who frame our debate, to reject any temptation to resort to bigotry and scapegoat minorities.’