DOWNING Street has “shelved” plans to host England’s Euro 2020 stars at Number 10, it has been claimed.
According to the Guardian, insiders say Boris Johnson’s administration binned the invitations to focus on the Prime Minister’s “levelling up” agenda instead.
It comes after one of England’s players publicly rebuked Priti Patel for expressing solidarity with squad members who were racially abused following the team’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy.
Tyrone Mings attacked the Home Secretary, who insisted previously that fans were entitled to boo players for taking the knee, for dismissing the anti-racism protest as “gesture politics”.
Guardian reporter Aubrey Allegretti tweeted afterwards: “I’m told that plans to have the England team to Downing Street for a reception this week have been shelved, with attention turning instead to the PM’s levelling up speech in a few days.”
Number 10 did not deny the report.
A spokesman said: "We will be talking with the FA to identify a suitable way for the Prime Minister to thank the players and coaching staff for their efforts."
READ MORE: England star 'right' Priti Patel stoked fires of racism, ex-Tory minister says
The Prime Minister has invited social media chiefs to Downing Street, where he urged them to take tougher action over racism after the abuse of England footballers.
Johnson was set to tell social media companies they should "do everything they can to identify these people", including handing over details of those who posted racist content.
No 10 said the meeting had been scheduled ahead of the Euro 2020 attacks and also would host representatives from TikTok, Snapchat, Microsoft and Amazon Kids UK.
The abuse has not been confined to the internet, with a mural in south Manchester of Marcus Rashford having been defaced in what police are treating as a racist incident.
But Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all subjected to attacks on social media after they were unable to score in the penalty shootout at Wembley.
The comments of Government figures have also been called into question, with Mings criticising the Home Secretary after she described racist abuse as "vile" on Twitter.
"You don't get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as 'Gesture Politics' & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we're campaigning against, happens," the defender responded.
READ MORE: Italians hit back as 100,000 England fans sign Euro 2020 ‘rematch’ petition
Last month, Patel declined to condemn fans who booed players as they took the knee in protest against racial injustice at the beginning of matches.
"I just don't support people participating in that type of gesture, gesture politics, to a certain extent, as well," she told GB News.
And on whether England fans were right to boo the national team, she said: "That's a choice for them, quite frankly."
Patel declined to comment on Mings' tweet but Conservative former defence minister Johnny Mercer said the footballer was "completely right".
Former Tory Party chairwoman Baroness Warsi also criticised Patel, suggesting the Home Secretary and the Government were guilty of "dog whistle" politics.
Labour also accused the Prime Minister of a failure of leadership over a delay in criticising the booing last month, with leader Sir Keir Starmer saying his "words today ring hollow".
No 10 issued a defence of Johnson and Patel, saying the Prime Minister had urged the nation to support the team and not boo before England's first game.
"The Home Secretary is working every day to clamp down on hate crime, racism and violence," Johnson’s official spokesman added.
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