Goldsmith lashes out at ‘horrifying’ burkas

FINANCIER and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith has entered the burka debate following the burkini beach bans in France. ‘The sight of women clad in black burkas, faces fully covered, trailing their husbands along the Edgware Road like slaves is truly horrifying,’ the 35-year-old son of Sir James Goldsmith tweeted yesterday.

His remarks might put him at odds with his sister Jemima, with whom he has already clashed over Middle East politics. Jemima, who converted to Islam when she married Imran Khan, publicly rebuked her younger brother two years ago after he spoke out in support of Israel’s airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza. ‘Ben, your tweets on this subject are really ignorant and offensive,’ she scolded him.

Ben had approvingly quoted an Israeli spokesman claiming that Hamas ‘uses its civilians to defend its weapons’.