Ukip’s focus on the burqa shows the party has little left to offer on Brexit

The launch of Ukip’s new ‘integration agenda’ today was notable for two reasons. Firstly, Paul Nuttall refused to say whether he would seek a parliamentary seat in the snap election — eventually barricading himself in a locked room away from pesky hacks.

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The second thing to note was Ukip’s focus on the burqa. Overall, the new agenda had a distinctly anti-Islam focus. Nuttall — along with deputy leader Peter Whittle — said a Ukip government would pass a law against th­e wearing of face cov­erings in public plac­es, enforce an immediate closure of ­schools where there i­s evidence of Islamis­t ideology being taug­ht, and bring in annual school-base­d medical checks on g­irls at risk of suffering­ FGM. They added that these should also take place whenever said girls return­ from trips overseas.