John Barnes hailed for 'best ever answers' on Question Time as he responds to Liam Neeson racism row, Shamima Begum and the Independent Group

John Barnes has been hailed for the “best ever answers” on Question Time as he gave his views on the Liam Neeson racism row, IS bride Shamima Begum and Brexit.

The former England footballer once again defended Neeson in the wake of the actor’s comments about walking around hoping to “kill” a black man after someone close to him was raped.

Mr Barnes told an audience member on Thursday night that he “absolutely” stands by his support for Neeson and said society must have “honest conversations” about subconscious bias that he says everyone has.

“We all discriminate and we have to admit it,” he said.

“Why I’m happy to say that I discriminate unconsciously is because the environment that I’ve been brought up in shows me that and continues to show me that.

“You read newspapers every day and you hear about Muslim terrorists and Nigerian gangs, and that gives you a negative impression of not just terrorists and of conmen or gangs, but also of Nigerians and Muslims.

“And this is the influence that society has on us, we can’t help the way we have been brought up.”

He told panellists it was important “to be able to have the conversation, rather than as soon as we mention anything say ‘you’re a racist, you discriminate, but we don’t’”.

Addressing the audience member, he added: “If I was to ask you now if you had a choice who you have to live next to between a Muslim and a white person, you would have an opinion based on the way you’ve been brought up, but we won’t admit it because we’re afraid of being called racist.

“We are influenced by our environment and the environment he came from, albeit from a Catholic and Protestant point of view, is ‘whoever the enemy is, we have to kill the enemy’. The enemy at that particular time happened to be black, but it equally could have been English and he would have wanted to kill any Englishman.”

His comments on the nature of discrimination were hailed by University of Oxford lecturer Professor Jennifer Cassidy, who said: “Westminster, I hope you’re taking notes.

“John Barnes took 90 seconds to deconstruct the nature of discrimination in the UK, how it’s bolstered by the media and fed to us by narratives. The fundamental necessity to admit it and confront it together.”

Others said Mr Barnes was “honest and insightful” and gave the “best ever answers” on the BBC show.

However, comedian Ava Vidal criticised his stance, saying: “Liam Neeson asked what COLOUR her rapist was.

“And no amount of tap dancing from John Barnes is going to change that. This man is out there right now doing the most harm.”

The former footballer also discussed the controversy surrounding IS teenager Shamima Begum and whether she should be allowed back to the UK after fleeing London to join the terrorist group in Syria in 2015.

He said: “We know through international law and being British we can’t leave someone stateless so therefore in terms of her coming back, yes. But I think she should face the appropriate punishment."

Sharing his views on Brexit, Mr Barnes also defended the breakaway group of MPs who this week formed The Independent Group.

Speaking about one of his fellow panellists Chris Leslie, a former Labour minister who split from the party, he said: “I think Chris and his colleagues should be commended in taking a stand for what they believe.

“I think they should be commended because too many politicians aren’t really showing their true colours and I think on an issue like this (Brexit), as much as we’re talking about going through with the will of the people, if they feel like it’s not the right thing for the country I think they should stand up and say so.”