U.K. PARTY DECRIES LAD CULTURE

Britain’s UK Independence Party (UKIP) announced its policy pledges this week ahead of elections scheduled for June 8. Here are five takeaways.

1 VITAMIN POLICY

UKIP would ban the burka and full face coverings on the basis that they stop women getting vitamin D from sunlight. The manifesto says, “Clothing that hides identity, puts up barriers to communication, limits employment opportunities, hides evidence of domestic abuse, and prevents intake of essential vitamin D from sunlight is not liberating.” It adds, “Suggestions that UKIP is undermining liberty with this policy are absurd. There is no human right to conceal your identity. If anything prevents liberty, it is the niqab, by preventing women from being perceived as individuals in their own right.”

2 VALUES TEST

The party has pledged to introduce a “social attitudes” test as part of a points-based immigration system, which would stop people who believe women or gay people are “secondclass citizens” from entering the country. “In Britain, we do not believe in treating women or gay people as second-class citizens, and we hold to a fundamental belief in democracy and free speech,” says the manifesto.

3 LAD CULTURE

The party would tackle “lad culture” — “which treats young women as sex objects” and holds “women to unattainable levels of physical perfection.” The manifesto says, “UKIP will review advertising, broadcast and editorial codes, seeking commitments that editorial coverage and advertising campaigns will treat men and women with dignity and promote healthy body images.”

4 TASTY TREAT

Britain’s most popular takeout foods would be cheaper under UKIP which pledges to reduce a tax, known as VAT, from fish and chips. “We will remove VAT from hot takeaway food such as fish and chips,” the party says.

5 VACATION ALERT

The party says they want to make June 23 — the day Britain voted to leave the European Union — a national holiday. “We will declare 23rd June Independence Day.”