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GB News hosts Tom Harwood and Emily Carver expressed their outrage at Westminster City Council, after it was revealed that the council is offering new citizens an ‘objection’ to shaking hands at their citizenship ceremony.
New British citizens are able to say whether they’d like to shake hands with a dignitary, giving them the ability to change their answer depending on whether that dignitary is a man or a woman.
The council has sparked backlash after it was revealed that on the website’s form for the ceremony, the new citizen can choose the option “I would prefer not to shake hands with the opposite sex”.
Westminster Council have said that the option is a “standard part of their form” and they “offer a range of options” to cater to everyone.
Tom Harwood has blasted Westminster City Council for offering an option to refuse a handshake with the opposite sex
GB News / Getty
Reacting to the revelation, GB News host Tom Harwood said it was “extraordinary” of the council and suggested that them offering a “range of options” will also cater to “misogynists”.
GB News reporter Charlie Peters argued that “certain Orthodox members or traditionalists from certain faiths”, such as those from Jewish or Muslim backgrounds, “don’t agree with the prospect of shaking hands with a woman”.
Tom hit out at the decision, fuming: “Correct me if I’m wrong, but in order to become a British citizen, you need to sign up to a certain set of British values?”
Charlie responded: “Yes, there’s an oath.”
Westminster City Council offers an option for new British citizens to ‘not shake hands with the opposite sex’
GB News
Tom continued: “They include tolerance and respect. And frankly, I don’t think that either of those values is commensurate with refusing to shake a woman’s hand.”
Charlie revealed the view of Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, who told him that “if you are going to become a British citizen, it’s a poor way to start by almost rejecting half of the population right from the start”.
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Emily was in agreement with Hayes’s view, raging: “And we’re offering it! We’re saying, or at least this council is saying you don’t need to have to shake the hands of someone from the opposite sex, or you don’t have to touch a woman to be a British citizen.
“I find it thoroughly offensive that we would allow this to even be an option.”
When asked by Emily if Westminster Council are going to change the option on their website, Charlie revealed: “The Home Office has made an order to Westminster City Council to make an amendment to their webpage.”
Tom Harwood said new British citizens ‘must shake hands with the opposite sex’ in order to become a citizen
GB News
Charlie continued: “Looking at the other options available to other local authorities, it does appear that you can say no to a handshake, but potentially the mistake or the overstep that’s been made by Westminster City Council in this particular case is that they are explicitly saying that you can reject that handshake on the basis of someone’s gender.”
Tom concluded: “Here’s a policy for any party that wants it, from me for free. Don’t give them the option of handshake or not.
“You have to shake the hand of a woman if you want to become a British citizen. How about that?”
A council spokesperson has said: “As part of our citizenship ceremony service we offer a range of options to ensure we cater to everyone, including faith and cultural groups, and people with health conditions and disabilities.”
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