Hard-right UK lawmaker Nigel Farage, currently leading opinion polls, has said he will ban mass Muslim prayer at historic British sites if he becomes prime minister.
The anti-immigrant firebrand called a Ramadan event in London’s Trafalgar Square earlier this week an “attempt to overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life”.
Monday’s open iftar, the evening meal to break the traditional Ramadan fast, has been the subject of political debate in recent days, with Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticising a Conservative MP for opposing the event.
“We have to stop this kind of mass demonstration, provocative demonstration, in historic British sites, because that’s what it is,” Farage said on Thursday.
Asked during a visit to Scotland whether he favoured banning all mass religious observances, Farage, leader of Reform UK, replied “yes”.
Pressed on whether that included Jewish or Catholic observances, he added: “I’ve never seen Jewish services taking place in places of historic Christian worship, or anywhere else.
“We have to get this right. We can’t stop individuals from praying, we wouldn’t want to stop individuals praying, but mass prayer is banned, mass Muslim prayer is banned, in many Muslim countries in the Middle East itself,” he said.
Trafalgar Square is one of London’s most iconic public spaces, home to landmarks and monuments including Nelson’s Column, and often hosts events from rallies and demonstrations to cultural celebrations and film shoots.
The debate ignited when the Conservatives justice spokesperson Nick Timothy wrote on X: “Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.”
“Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions,” he added.
Starmer called on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to sack Timothy over the comments, which had received the backing of far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
Badenoch said the Tories want to see religious observances in public places, but they must be “inclusive and also respectful of British culture”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim and attended the prayer service, called Timothy’s comments a “disgrace” to the Conservative Party, and a “megaphone dog whistle”.
Reform has led national surveys for over a year, although some polls have shown them falling back slightly in recent months. The next general election is not due until 2029.
So-called culture wars have increasingly become part of the political discourse in Britain in recent years.
