Kemi Badenoch: 'My grandmother was a Muslim...'

So I wanted to understand how a Muslim can trust her and her party with that sort of a sentiment.

So let me first of all start by explaining my background.My grandmother was a Muslim.I was born in a country.that was 50 % Muslim.I said Muslim prayers on Friday because that's what happened there when I was at school.I have good friends who are Muslim.

There are many different ways of expressing your religion.But I am a politician.I am not a religious leader.And in my view, the law and our culture and norms trump any religion, whether it's Christianity, whether it is Islam.I do not believe in gender segregation in public places.I do not believe in the celebration of it.

If you want to do that, do it in a mosque.And If people have views about religions in this country, they are welcome to express them.We have freedom of religion in this country.We also have freedom to criticize religion or religious practices, which is what Nick Timothy, my shadow minister, was doing.If we are trying to tell people that you are not allowed to criticize any religion, then we are changing the very fabric, nature and culture of this country.And I fundamentally disagree with that.

I respect people's ability to, you know, to practice their religion.We want that, we want people to have open expressions of faith in Trafalgar Square, but they have to be open and welcoming, not restricted and segregated.