He argued that coverings such as burkas are “anti-British”: “For these women, raised under an extremist form of Islam, the burqa is a symbol of oppression. The symbol is what Plaid members are attempting to back today. An extreme ideology.
“There is an anti-British, anti-women, and against assimilation, forced on young girls and carried on into adulthood. Now, in numerous countries, the burqa is already banned, but we cannot allow this form of oppression to become the norm in Wales.
“Reform has no issue with hijab. We have no issue or problem with race, creed, or religion, protesters, we do have an issue with people living amongst our communities hiding their identities.”
Hitting back at Mr O’Connell, Welsh Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams declared it is a “sad day indeed” that members who are “here to represent the whole of Wales seek to divide those communities”.