Sports Minister Tony Banks

Banks Hits Out At 'Buffers in Blazers' Running Sports

In his first speech as Sports Minister he said he shared a Labour backbencher's "dislike of bureaucracy" in sport. He said this was because "I want to be spared from hoards of old buffers in blazers and caps who purport to run so many of our sports at the moment."

He was also critical of the media for lacking coverage of disabled events "I can get coverage for breaking wind as I walk down the road it appears these days. But I can't get coverage for the excellent achievement that our sportsmen and women with disabilities are actually achieving for this country."

Mr Banks was winding up a debate about sport in his own characteristically light hearted way. He went on to call the founder of the modern Olympics a "complete turnip" for his attitudes to women.

"He defined the modern Olympic Games as 'solemn and periodic exultation of male athleticism ... with female applause as a reward'. In modern parlance he would be described as a complete turnip."

The Chelsea fan sparked laughter when he spoke up in favour of angling and described himself as a "former piscatorial participant". He said: "I don't wish to sound immodest, but I was known in my days as one of the finest piscatorial artists."

On a more serious note, he went on: "I don't see this in the same category as hunting with hounds for a variety of obvious reasons. Anyone who tries to lump them together is deluding themselves and attempting to delude the country. This Government supports angling ... "