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Stanley Johnson says female fighter jet pilots 'should be told not to wear burqas'

Channel 4
Channel 4

The prime minister's father Stanley Johnson caused outrage after saying that Muslim women should be told not to wear the burqa if they are fighter pilots.

Mr Johnson was defending an article written in the past by his son Boris, suggesting his comments had been taken "out of context".

He then went on to give his views on women wearing the traditional garb.

"If I was a female fighter jet pilot I would expect someone to say, 'don't wear a burqa,'" he said while speaking on Channel 4.

He was swiftly booed by the crowd with fellow panellist, celebrity judge Rob Rinder, responding: "You would expect them to be qualified and that's all that matters."

Mr Johnson then asked: "Have you ever flown a plane?"

Mr Rinder told him to not be "absurd" and called his comments "disgraceful".

"People who want to defend our country should do so in circumstances where they're adequately qualified," Mr Rinder said.

The prime minister has previously been criticised for comments where he wrote that women in burqas look like "letter boxes", though he has always said this was taken out of context.

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