Former England and Chelsea defender John Terry has faced significant backlash after he appeared to endorse calls for a ban on the burqa in the UK by responding to a social media post from Rupert Lowe, the founder of the newly formed political party Restore Britain. Terry’s reaction, which consisted of three clapping emojis and a St George’s Cross, came in response to an Instagram post by Lowe that outlined controversial policy proposals.

In the original post, Lowe shared a photo of a London Underground station displaying Bengali signage and set out his party’s vision to prohibit the burqa and ensure that all London station signs are in English only.

He added that these changes were necessary because;

“Enough is enough. Vote Restore Britain to get our capital city back.”

Terry’s brief but highly visible reaction has attracted heated debate on social media and beyond, with many accusing the former footballer of lending his influential profile to a policy that critics say targets religious freedoms and marginalised communities. Others argue Terry was merely showing support for a debate on cultural integration in the UK.

In response to the criticism directed at Terry, Lowe took to his own social channels to defend both his policies and the ex-player.

“I see that England/Chelsea legend John Terry is taking some flak for applauding Restore Britain’s policy of banning the burqa and ensuring that all London stations use English, and English only."

“This is the position the vast majority of the British people support.

Lowe went on to dismiss negative comments about his stance, saying:

“If we get called names? WHO CARES. It does not matter, we do not care, and nor should you. This isn’t 2015 anymore. These insults mean nothing.”

He also urged others to be bold in standing up for what he described as the majority view, telling supporters that;

“More people need to show some courage and stand up for what the majority thinks."

Restore Britain was launched in 2025 following Lowe’s departure from Reform UK, and the party has since pushed a range of socially conservative and nationalist policies, including the burqa ban proposal.