Home Secretary Priti Patel has hit back after becoming involved in a row over her response to the Black Lives Matter protests.

The home secretary had condemned protesters for going against social distancing rules and toppling a statue of a slave trader in Bristol.

In a letter from several Labour MPs, she was accused of using her heritage and experience of racism to “gaslight other minority communities”.

Ms Patel later said she was “sad” to have received the letter and that the MPs were dismissing the “contributions of those who don’t conform to their view of how ethnic minorities should behave”.

Here, Sky News has spoken to two people from BAME backgrounds who have differing views on this.

Nimco Ali is an author and activist of Somali heritage who co-founded The Five Foundation, the global partnership to end female genital mutilation.

Last summer before she became the home secretary, I had a meeting with Priti Patel.

I brought my then-12-year-old cousin with me that day because I wanted him to see what I did.

Myself and Priti spent an hour or so talking and she said if she ever went back into the cabinet she would love a role where she could deliver for girls and women.

That meeting and seeing her at the victory rally on the night of the election are moments I think back to when I see people twist her words or dismiss her achievements in the face of so much.

At the rally, I made an off-hand comment about the hate I had been getting on Twitter for supporting the Conservative Party and I said one of the things I had been called.

The smile on her face disappeared for a moment and I could see she was hurt I had to face that.

I just wanted to hug her, so I did.

She told my little cousin that Westminster was waiting for young men like him and he is always welcome to reach out to her for advice on school.

When she said this, I knew she was giving a kid the faith to never dim his light – no matter what anyone says.

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