[Football] Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

[Titanic]

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting MOTD

Gary Lineker to step back from presenting Match of the Day until agreement reached on social media use - BBC statement

www.bbc.co.uk

Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use - BBC statement.
It follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.
In a tweet, the presenter had compared the language used by the government to set out its plan to "that used by Germany in the 30s".

 

[Thunder Bolt]

He can say what he likes, but the BBC have never wanted their presenters expressing party political bias.

So, once again, Alan Sugar, David Attenborough, Laura Kuennsberg, Fiona Bruce, and Andrew Neil are all free to say what they like, but a popular football presenter isn’t?

 

[Goldstone Guy]

Please. Do you truly believe in your heart that the UK is on the road to non-Anglo Saxons facing murder or mass murder for not being Anglo-Saxon?

The outpouring of empathy with Lineker shows a kind nation. The last EU mass survey of black people across the entire continent including the UK, showed us to be the least racist country in Europe. Not the lazy musings of white Europeans guessing stuff, instead the experiences of black people. For every Chelsea supporting racist oaf, migrants we meet in our lives here are appreciated by the vast majority of Brits.

If you really think this is the Fourth Reich, how come we’re free to talk about it, how come Labour are just 21 months away from forming a government?

I don't think anyone's suggesting that we're 5-10 years away from becoming Germany in 1938. What they are saying (including Thunderbolt) is that some of the language about refugees - "swarms" and an "invasion" was similar to what was going on in early 1930s Germany. I'm no history student and don't know how accurate this is. What I do know is that I'm appalled by most of what this government have done in the past few years. I'm also really worried about how the BBC now seems to be controlled by the government (added to our right wing press) and the Tories appear to be trying to turn the country into some sort of dictatorship. So yes, we probably (hopefully) aren't on the road to becoming Nazi Germany, but God knows what the road is these Tory nutters are taking us down. Complacency is the last thing we need now.

 

[Wozza]

He can say what he likes, but the BBC have never wanted their presenters expressing party political bias.

 

[pb21]

He can say what he likes, but the BBC have never wanted their presenters expressing party political bias.

I am assuming these are the guidelines that are being referred to.

Guidelines

The Editorial Guidelines are the BBC's values and standards. They apply to all our content, wherever and however it is received.

www.bbc.com

This says:

What Lineker has done is release his own content/opinion, it's not the BBC's.

 

[Weststander]

You can bet in the run-up to the next general election, the Mail, Express, Sun and Telegraph will be warning that the Marxist Left are waiting in the wings to overthrow Starmer after polling day and impose Communism on Britain - they made the same warnings about Blair; "What lies behind the smile?'

As always, the Tories can dish it out, but they cry their eyes out when it's thrown back at them. Like the bully in the school playground, they play the victim card when someone stands-up to them.

He’s heading for a landslide. The Mail/Express/Sun are read by the already converted, as are the Mirror/Guardian/Independent.

The Telegraph is a brilliant paper, loved by many here, I’ve never read their editorials. The difference from the Mail and Mirror is that they don’t publish dog-whistle pieces masquerading as news in trying to influence people to hate Tory or Labour.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Its quite amusing seeing a self identifying class warrior complaining about a culture war MoS!

Not as amusing as you thinking nobody would spot your new username Footy G. Now that was Genius, albeit of the comic variety.

 

[Peteinblack]

And none of us, black, white, migrants or Jewish, are being beaten to a pulp for expressing views disagreeing with Braverman or Lineker.

The UK’s a good place. I know it’s trendy to hate on our country. Empty kettles make most most noise, a steady minority who paint the picture of an awful country.

Every time people like Braverman, Farage, etc, blame immigrants for our problems, racial attacks increase - as they did immediately after the Brexit result in 2016.

 

[rogersix]

And none of us, black, white, migrants or Jewish, are being beaten to a pulp for expressing views disagreeing with Braverman or Lineker.

The UK’s a good place. I know it’s trendy to hate on our country. Empty kettles make most most noise, a steady minority who paint the picture of an awful country.

no one was beaten to a pulp, at first

 

[Peteinblack]

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

He can say what he likes, but the BBC have never wanted their presenters expressing party political bias.

Andrew Neill and Lord Sugar to name but two …..

 

[AmexRuislip]

Ian Wright aside, MOTD might need a shake up.
Chapters a good shout.
Could rename Woke of the Day

 

[Stato]

I hope all the pundits follow Ian Wright’s stance and don’t appear on MOTD until Lineker returns?

All of the obvious replacements seem to be ruling themselves out.

 

[Machiavelli]

He can say what he likes, but the BBC have never wanted their presenters expressing party political bias.

If you can point to any posts in which you've criticised Andrew Neil for wearing a Adam Smith Institute tie on the BBC, and blatantly pursuing their agenda while on the BBC, your contributions to this thread will have some credence.
FWIW, I agree with your criticism of the association Lineker has made. As a football presenter, I've no problems with him saying as such.

Our media ecosystem is not balanced, decent and, anyone that thinks it is is simply delusional. The BBC has now given up at even trying to stand up to it. Things fall apart ...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I don’t understand?

He is backing Gary and what Gary said. He is a Holocaust survivor.

Jean Salt is also a Holocaust survivor, and said exactly the same thing to Suella Braverman.

Watch in full as Braverman tells Holocaust survivor she won’t apologise for rhetoric

Home Office asked charity Freedom From Torture to take down edited video show Home Secretary’s response

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Bodian]

How near do they have to get? Look at this National Front poster from the 70s. View attachment 158148

They're way off yet!

 

[Acker79]

Comparing the language used by the government on immigration and asylum seekers to 1930s Germany... I wonder what survivors of the holocaust would think of that? Oh, wait, we know, don't we? It was only a month ago this happened:

I confronted Suella Braverman because as a Holocaust survivor I know what words of hate can do | Joan Salter

By demonising refugees, the home secretary causes divisions that can lead to tragedy. We must not forget the lessons of the past, says educator Joan Salter

www.theguardian.com

When actual survivors of the holocaust can see it, why do any of us feel we know better than them?

 

[rogersix]

Libel if written , but possibly no case to answer!

Lineker has played the hand he wanted to, deliberately referencing 30’s Germany - could anything else possibly get this much traction? We don’t know what’s said behind closed doors and why exactly he’s not on MOTD but this is clearly something he feels very strongly about and not being on MOTD certainly suits his current agenda and extends his news cycle.

bravaman played her hand first, with very deliberate language, she is the problem

 

[Weststander]

I don't think anyone's suggesting that we're 5-10 years away from becoming Germany in 1938. What they are saying (including Thunderbolt) is that some of the language about refugees - "swarms" and an "invasion" was similar to what was going on in early 1930s Germany. I'm no history student and don't know how accurate this is. What I do know is that I'm appalled by most of what this government have done in the past few years. I'm also really worried about how the BBC now seems to be controlled by the government (added to our right wing press) and the Tories appear to be trying to turn the country into some sort of dictatorship. So yes, we probably (hopefully) aren't on the road to becoming Nazi Germany, but God knows what the road is these Tory nutters are taking us down. Complacency is the last thing we need now.

In one of my posts I criticised both Braverman and Lineker for rhetoric.

Lineker knows little about 1930’s Germany. Within 6 weeks of taking power in 1933, show trials and immediate executions had taken place, 10,000 political opponents were in the first concentration camps in which they were tortured and murdered, 4 Jews were led outside and murdered.

 

[chickens]

Well, in Britain in 2023 it’s no longer permissible to be critical of our government and remain a media personality on British TV.

We are now quite a long way down a very slippery slope.

 

[rogersix]

It hasn’t. And it won’t. Not an admirer of the Tories, but even they aren’t anywhere near to National Socialism.

it won't if enough people are prepared to fight for the right of freedom of speech