Downing Street tonight scrambled to head off speculation that plans for an reception for the England team had been shelved due to a race row.
Questions were asked after it emerged there are no plans for the PM to host an event to honour Gareth Southgate’s team after reaching the final.
Boris Johnson and Priti Patel have been criticised for refusing to condemn fans who booed the team ‘taking the knee’ before matches – with one player claiming that had fuelled racist abuse of three stars who missed penalties in the defeat on Sunday.
But No10 tried to sweep away the issue tonight by insisting that the Football Association had informed the government they did not want an immediate reception.
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The PM would have been delighted and honoured to host a reception for the England squad to mark their outstanding performance in the European championship.
‘However No10 was informed prior to Sunday’s game that the FA’s preference was not for an immediate reception in the event England were to lose.
‘We continue to discuss suitable ways for the PM to thank the squad and coaching staff for their heroic efforts throughout the tournament.’
Sources insisted a similar situation had arisen after the 2018 World Cup when the England team did not want to be honoured for losing in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was forced to defend his Home Secretary today after she she was accused of ‘stoking the fire’ with her pre-tournament criticism of players who take the knee.
Three Lions and Aston Villa defender Tyron Mings took aim at the embattled Home Secretary last night, saying she had ‘no right’ to condemn the barrage of online racist abuse against fellow stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
The trio were bombarded by sickening messages from morons after missing penalties in Sunday night’s heartbreaking Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.
Ms Patel hit out at the abuse, but has faced accusations of hypocrisy after earlier saying players who took the knee were engaged in ‘gesture politics’ and backing supporters who booed them for doing so.
Downing Street has spent the past couple of days saying it is still speaking to the FA about the best way to mark the team’s achievement of reaching a major final for the first time in 55 years.
A one-off bank holiday has been ruled out but the Guardian today reported that No10 has decided against having the team come to Downing Street for a publicised meeting with the Prime Minister.
The ranks of those criticising the Home Secretary expanded today to include the former Tory defence minister Johnny Mercer, who said that Mings was ‘completely right’.
But Mr Johnson’s official spokesman today told reporters: ‘The Home Secretary is working every day to clamp down on hate crime, racism and violence.
‘There is no place for racism in this country and she is backing the police to hold those responsible for this abuse accountable.’
England star Tyrone Mings (pictured taking the knee during a friendly against Romania in June) said the Home Secretary had ‘no right’ to condemn the barrage of situs judi slot online terbaik indonesia racist abuse against fellow stars Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after they missed penalties in Sunday night’s heartbreaking Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay (right) jumped to Priti Patel’s (left) defense after Tyrone Mings accused the Home Secretary of ‘stoking the fire’ of racism by labelling the team taking the knee as ‘gesture politics’
It came as Labour backed Mings’ statement, with Deputy Leader Angela Raynor (pictured) urging both Ms Patel and the Prime Minister to ‘take the knee and apologise’ for ‘giving these racist scumbags license to abuse our players’
Marvin Sordell (pictured), a former England Under-21 and Watford striker, admitted racism was a ‘big factor’ in his retirement from the sport aged 28, as he struggled with his own mental wellbeing.
He scored 68 career goals in 321 appearances. Today he backed Mings’ statement
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news halfRHS" data-version="2" id="mol-cb344b00-e3c0-11eb-a4cb-c5f62f53000c" website 'didn't want' Downing Street event 'unless they won,' insists No10
