Philip Hollobone in Burka ban row

Philip Hollobone (76-83), MP for Kettering, has been warned he could face legal action if he refuses to meet constituents who wear burkas or niqabs, which hide their faces.
Lawyers for pressure group Liberty have written to Philip Hollobone stating the Equality Act obliges him to avoid discrimination.

The Kettering MP said he needed to meet voters face-to-face. He added he would invite those who did not remove their veil to communicate in a different way, such as by letter. He is trying to bring in a Private Member's Bill to ban women wearing the burka or niqab in public.
 
Mr Hollobone's comments have been criticised by Muslim groups, and the idea of a ban has been dismissed by government ministers as "un-British" and unhelpful to women. Immigration minister Damian Green has said banning the full Islamic veil in public would be "at odds with the UK's tolerant society".
Liberty has now offered to represent any woman wishing to make a legal challenge against Mr Hollobone if she is refused a meeting with him because of her veil.