The BBC says it is having a “frank chat” with Match of the Day host Gary Lineker following his scathing tweets about the government’s asylum policy.
Gary Lineker stated that the plan’s wording was “very different to that employed by Germany in the 1930s.”
The BBC has impartiality guidelines, and the company has stated that Lineker is being “confronted” with his responsibilities.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the remarks as “disappointing.”
On Tuesday, the government unveiled its plans to effectively prohibit illegal arrivals from seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
Anyone discovered to have unlawfully entered the country would also be prevented from returning or seeking British citizenship in the future.
The policy is part of an effort to manage the rise in the annual number of persons entering the United Kingdom via the English Channel, which grew from approximately 300 in 2018 to more than 45,000 in 2022.
In response to a video message from Ms. Braverman outlining the policy, Mr. Lineker tweeted, “This is beyond bad.”
Another user told him he was “out of order,” to which he responded,
“We accept considerably fewer refugees than other big European nations.”
“This is an unfathomably cruel strategy aimed at the most vulnerable people, expressed in language somewhat dissimilar to that employed by Germany in the 1930s, and I’m out of order?”
Ms. Braverman’s video and accompanying tweet featured the phrases “enough is enough” and “we must stop the boats.” It is unclear which specific wording Mr. Lineker was referring to.
Following the remarks, the home secretary stated on BBC One’s Breakfast,
“I’m clearly disappointed. I believe it is unfair to compare our legal, reasonable, and compassionate measures to those of 1930s Germany. I also believe we are on the side of the British people in this situation.”
The decade witnessed the ascent to power of the Nazi party in Germany and the persecution of Jews, which contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day since 1999, is the highest-paid BBC personality, earning around £1.35 million in 2020-21.
He has previously advocated for the rights of migrants and welcomed refugees into his house. In addition, he has criticized consecutive Tory governments on matters such as Brexit.
In October, the BBC’s complaints unit determined that Lineker’s tweet questioning whether the Tory Party planned to “return their funds from Russian benefactors” violated impartiality standards.
The statement was made after former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In 2018, in response to BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew’s request that he “keep your political opinions to yourself,” Lineker stated,
“I am the face of my own Twitter account. I’ll continue to tweet what I want, and if others disagree, so be it.”
Tim Patten, the BBC’s director general, has made impartiality a central tenet of his leadership, therefore the controversy over Lineker’s latest remarks has put the BBC under strain.
The broadcaster’s editorial guidelines declare that it is “dedicated to attaining due impartiality in all its output” and that “public statements, for instance on social media, by staff [or] presenters… might alter perceptions of the BBC’s impartiality.”
Mr. Davie said he had not spoken to Lineker
When asked how many “strikes” the broadcaster has received for social media posts, he responded, “I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss specific individuals.
I believe that the BBC places the utmost importance on objectivity, which is obviously vital to us.
Lee Anderson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, stated that Lineker was “out of touch” and should stick to football.
After Lineker’s comments on Tuesday, he wrote on Twitter that the host had “spoken again with his virtue-signaling bullshit.”
“This is again another illustration of how disconnected these rich celebrities are from the voting population,” he remarked. Instead of lecturing, Mr. Lineker should stick to reporting football scores and selling snacks.
Craig Mackinlay, a Tory MP, told the Daily Telegraph that Lineker’s remarks were “vile, ill-conceived, and shameful,” and he demanded that the BBC fire him.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today that she did not agree with the remark and that it is “absolutely” up to the BBC to take substantial action against him when asked if it should.
She continued,
“He is someone who has spoken out forcefully on a variety of issues, and people who feel passionately should be entitled to speak out and express their opinions.”
A spokesman for the organization stated, “The BBC has released social media guidelines.” People who work for us are aware of their social media duties. If necessary, we have the relevant internal procedures in place.
We anticipate that Gary Lineker will be contacted and reminded of his obligations.
In addition, the firm replied to prior criticism of Lineker by emphasizing that he is not involved in its journalistic or political production and is a freelance broadcaster, not an employee.
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