Matt Hancock has been accused of "whitesplaining" Islamophobia by a senior Muslim Tory peer after suggesting she failed to take a "balanced approach" on the issue.

The Health Secretary said the Tories needed to hold an inquiry on Islamophobia within the party, but claimed others "take a more balanced approach" on the issue than former chairman Sayeeda Warsi.

Baroness Warsi mock-thanked Mr Hancock for "whitesplaining" the issue, saying: "I’m so glad I have colleagues like you who can educate me even after my 30 years of experience of work in race relations."

The term is a new take on the original concept of "mansplaining", in which a male explains something to a woman in a patronising manner.

However, Mr Hancock today rowed back on the issue, when asked on Sky News if Baroness Warsi takes an “unbalanced approach”.

He said: “I don’t think that she does. I think that you’ve got to look at the whole thing in the round.

"We’ve got to tackle these problems wherever we find them, including in the Conservative Party, absolutely.”

Baroness Warsi, the first female Muslim to attend cabinet, has been campaigning for a full independent inquiry into Islamophobia.

However Boris Johnson said the Conservatives would be conducting a "general investigation into prejudice" stopping short of her calls for an independent probe.