Labour minister Jess Phillips is under huge pressure this morning as she faces demands to resign over a highly controversial post appearing to defend rioting Muslims in Birmingham.

Last night Ms Phillips responded to scenes of masked Asian men in her home town intimidating Sky News journalists, arguing the lawless crowd was there “because it has been spread that racists were coming to attack them”.

She blasted Reform UK MP Richard Tice for "spreading" the misinformation that forced the aggressive protesters out onto the street.

Her tone towards the Asian mob has now sparked demands for her to resign or face the sack, as the Government and police are accused of ‘two-tier policing’ in the way they treat far-right and Muslim rioters.

This morning, Reform’s Lee Anderson blasted that Ms Phillips must “apologise for this and then resign”.

He said: “You're part of the problem not the solution. A disgusting tweet. What are you scared of? Losing votes?”

Mr Tice, whose tweet about the concerning Birmingham scenes first provoked Ms Phillips’ comments, observed this morning: “Jess Phillips trying to justify thuggery, intimidation and threats by violent gangs”.

“Not a great look for a Labour minister.”

Meanwhile Tory leadership hopeful and former Home Secretary James Cleverly said no minister in his former department should “be making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing, and intimidating members of the media”.

“Ministers are not commentators or casual observers, they are decision makers and need to think about the consequences of their words and actions.”

Nick Timothy, a newly-elected Tory MP who worked as a special advisor in the Home Office for many years, demanded to know whether Keir Starmer thinks Ms Phillips’ post was “acceptable from a Home Office minister?”

He was joined by former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who described her comments as “astonishing”.

Ms Truss continued: “She must retract this statement and the Prime Minister must urgently commit to protect the safety and freedom of everyone in our country”.

Dr Chris Newton, a former Tory defence advisor, accrued 7,600 likes on his post arguing: “If a Tory frontbencher had tweeted the equivalent of what Jess Phillips tweeted tonight, it would’ve been an instant resignation matter”.

While former MEP and well-known conservative commentator Patrick O’Flynn agreed that it is “unsustainable for Phillips to continue as a Home Office minister after this”.

Asked last night whether she believes fear of the far-right gave the Muslim protesters the right to assemble on the street with weapons, Ms Philips added: “Nope and anyone committing criminality should face the law, but it's important that the facts of why people are congregating”.

"And how it is done on purpose in order to keep driving this dissent, to create content. It's very organised and very ugly.”

At 11pm she said that all those perpetrating violence last night “will face the consequences no matter who they are”.