Tory minister dodges questions over Tyrone Mings calling out Priti Patel

A senior government minister refused to say whether the home secretary had “stoked the fire” around racism by suggesting that England players taking the knee were engaging in “gesture politics.”

Stephen Barclay defended Priti Patel on BBC Breakfast when he was asked about footballer Tyrone Mings’ criticism of her.

After Patel said she was “disgusted” by racist abuse of players following Sunday’s Euro 2020 final, Mings tweeted: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.”