BBC and lineker

[BillyStubbsTears]

Saw a clip from sky sports news which sums it up. Andrew Neil, the BBC chairman, Jeremy Clarkson (when he worked there), Alan Sugar and many others can have political interests or work on opinion pieces which are very much not impartial and that’s all ok.

Tweet a mild criticism and it’s escalated like this. BBC encouraged Lineker to condemn the World Cup (rightly) but then it’s not ok to do it in our own country.

They’ve either been pressured into it by a government we all know is rotten or they’ve just scored a needless own goal. Hopefully all this brings it to a head and the genuine people at risk of contaminating the BBC with their political alignments are removed.

Precisely this.

Neill was the BBC's chief political interviewer while he ran a magazine that routinely published far right tropes and repeatedly trolled left wing people on Twitter. The BBC took zero action against him.

The BBC with its senior management cadre straight from the Tory party has become the state broadcaster of the Tory party. It's a long way back from here.

[ForsolongaRover]

Are we to assume that those who criticise GL’s allusion to Nazi language otherwise oppose the Government’s policy? If they favour the policy, this surely colours their judgment. If they do not, can they provide a more appropriate form of words to to describe their own misgivings about what is proposed.

[DonnyOsmond]

https://twitter.com/Wilsonfooty/status/1634333481302982656?t=xxj0wuOlFkJ8kBvuxOcSuQ&s=19

Commentators are pulling out.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1634323772051275778?s=19

Players and managers considering not doing interview for the BBC.

Me thinks someone's made a bad decision at the BBC.

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://twitter.com/Wilsonfooty/status/1634333481302982656?t=xxj0wuOlFkJ8kBvuxOcSuQ&s=19

Commentators are pulling out.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1634323772051275778?s=19

Players and managers considering not doing interview for the BBC.

Me thinks someone's made a bad decision at the BBC.

Someone on that first tweet thread has coined the phrase.

I'm Sportacus!

[Cramby10]

It wouldn’t surprise me if viewing figures increased on the back of this. I’m not sure I know of anyone that enjoys the b*llocks in between matches. Could save them a fortune.

[Bessie Red]

So it looks like the BBC have suspended him for his comments ,now wright and shearer have pulled out of hosting match of the day as well ,I don't see what he did wrong ,it was on his Twitter page not while he was hosting the program

https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/conflicts-of-interest
There you go he broke BBC rules!

[Bessie Red]

BBC is wrong on this one imo. Even if your a gammon and pineapple type and love the nonsense Braverman comes out with what does it matter what Lineker says on his personal twitter feeds?

BBC needs to be politically neutral but it’s not like he did it on air or is a political correspondent. His personal opinions have no bearing on how he does his job like it might other roles.

Frankly the government at the moment are a shambles and the BBC seem to give them a easy ride.

This is why he has been suspended
https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/
and
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/conflicts-of-interest
He cannot tweet comments that break their impartiality and conflict of interests rules and not be expected to be disciplined. It is not a matter of free speech but a matter of breaking BBC rules. He can say what he like on twitter if he resigns from his BBC position.

[Bessie Red]

I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Richard Sharp, who facilitated an £800000 loan for a lying, corrupt prime minister, lectures Gary Lineker on BBC impartiality. This government makes my piss boil with their hypocrisy and bigotry. F*ck*ng scum the lot of them & the sooner they are wiped out the better!

That Braverman thing deserves a special place in hell along with Johnson! 

Sharp should be disciplined aswell for breaking BBC Conflict of Interest and Impartiality rules.

[Bessie Red]

Saw a clip from sky sports news which sums it up. Andrew Neil, the BBC chairman, Jeremy Clarkson (when he worked there), Alan Sugar and many others can have political interests or work on opinion pieces which are very much not impartial and that’s all ok.

Tweet a mild criticism and it’s escalated like this. BBC encouraged Lineker to condemn the World Cup (rightly) but then it’s not ok to do it in our own country.

They’ve either been pressured into it by a government we all know is rotten or they’ve just scored a needless own goal. Hopefully all this brings it to a head and the genuine people at risk of contaminating the BBC with their political alignments are removed.

Precisely this.

Neill was the BBC's chief political interviewer while he ran a magazine that routinely published far right tropes and repeatedly trolled left wing people on Twitter. The BBC took zero action against him.

The BBC with its senior management cadre straight from the Tory party has become the state broadcaster of the Tory party. It's a long way back from here.

Is that the same state broadcaster that  did everything in its power to prevent Brexit and then did all it could to hound out successive Tory leaders/ PM's over the last few years.

[SydneyRover]

''If the BBC is politically neutral, how does it explain Andrew Neil?''

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/11/bbc-andrew-neil-media-politics

[Cramby10]

The left think the bbc is right wing and the right think it’s left wing. Always have done.
I don’t particularly like the bbc and couldn’t care less about Linekar but it must be doing something for balance to achieve this.

[Bentley Bullet]

BBC rules in full:

- Attenborough can't broadcast a show about UK nature loss.

- Lineker can't tweet criticising the government.

- Alan Sugar *can* tweet criticising strikes
.
- The BBC chair *can* be a Tory donor who didn't disclose he facilitated a loan to Boris Johnson.

So it looks like the BBC have suspended him for his comments ,now wright and shearer have pulled out of hosting match of the day as well ,I don't see what he did wrong ,it was on his Twitter page not while he was hosting the program

What ! He compares this government to Nazi Germany where the hunted were making every effort to get out not in. This party won’t get my vote but come on he deserves everything he gets.

No. He didn't.

Yes. He did. He compared this government to Nazi Germany by likening the language used by ministers about asylum seekers to “that used by Germany in the 30s”

Those asylum seekers in the 1930’s (quoted in the daily mail - check out Twitter) were German Jews which the tories of the time (aided by the daily mail) were campaigning against entering the country and taking our jobs/homes. Sound familiar? And we all know what happened next!!!

So does that mean you agree that Lineker was comparing this country to Nazi Germany?

Think your misrepresenting what was said.

Saying “language used is not dissimilar” is not comparing an entire country to the nazi’s.

And if you can’t read the context of what he’s saying then what’s the point of learning to read in the 1st place.

Good luck.

I didn't misrepresent anything. I asked him if his comment meant he agreed that Lineker was comparing this country to Nazi Germany.

He was comparing the language of certain politicians.

The will of the people. Betrayal of the nation if you resist.

You are being very silly, saying Lineker was comparing this country to Nazi Germany. Silly, but not surprising.

Why did he mention Germany in the '30s if he wasn't comparing this government to Germany in the '30s?

By the way, your use of insults is just a clear indication of when you run out of anything constructive to say in defence of your argument. You really should learn to play your cards closer to your chest.

[SydneyRover]

The left think the bbc is right wing and the right think it’s left wing. Always have done.
I don’t particularly like the bbc and couldn’t care less about Linekar but it must be doing something for balance to achieve this.

This may be the most important discussion in the UK atm, freedom of the press and the media, there are certainly questions to be answered about why some can offer their views and others cannot. Independence of the bbc from government interference, any government is vital.

[Cramby10]

To be honest with you flower I don’t give a shite. Was only stating a fact. I avoid news and politics like the plague. It’s a toxic swamp which ever side you’re batting and it’s not good for my mental health.
If it was written into his contract that he shouldn’t do certain things then he shouldn’t do them or not sign it in the first place.

[ncRover]

The left think the bbc is right wing and the right think it’s left wing. Always have done.
I don’t particularly like the bbc and couldn’t care less about Linekar but it must be doing something for balance to achieve this.

This may be the most important discussion in the UK atm, freedom of the press and the media, there are certainly questions to be answered about why some can offer their views and others cannot. Independence of the bbc from government interference, any government is vital.

Abolish the license fee and make it stand on its own 2 feet as a private company? Or in some other vague way?

[SydneyRover]

The left think the bbc is right wing and the right think it’s left wing. Always have done.
I don’t particularly like the bbc and couldn’t care less about Linekar but it must be doing something for balance to achieve this.

This may be the most important discussion in the UK atm, freedom of the press and the media, there are certainly questions to be answered about why some can offer their views and others cannot. Independence of the bbc from government interference, any government is vital.

Abolish the license fee and make it stand on its own 2 feet as a private company? Or in some other vague way?

You're just muddying the waters nc, the detail about what was said or how independence is achieved is secondary to a government controlled media.

[CoppsChop]

To be honest with you flower I don’t give a shite. Was only stating a fact. I avoid news and politics like the plague. It’s a toxic swamp which ever side you’re batting and it’s not good for my mental health.
If it was written into his contract that he shouldn’t do certain things then he shouldn’t do them or not sign it in the first place.

The BBC impartiality rules being cited as being broken are not part of his contract.

He broke rules which did not apply to him.

[DonnyOsmond]

BBC is wrong on this one imo. Even if your a gammon and pineapple type and love the nonsense Braverman comes out with what does it matter what Lineker says on his personal twitter feeds?

BBC needs to be politically neutral but it’s not like he did it on air or is a political correspondent. His personal opinions have no bearing on how he does his job like it might other roles.

Frankly the government at the moment are a shambles and the BBC seem to give them a easy ride.

This is why he has been suspended
https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/
and
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/conflicts-of-interest
He cannot tweet comments that break their impartiality and conflict of interests rules and not be expected to be disciplined. It is not a matter of free speech but a matter of breaking BBC rules. He can say what he like on twitter if he resigns from his BBC position.

The impartiality rules apply to political commentators or newscasters. The host of Cbeebies doesn't have to adhere to impartiality rules outside the office and the same applies to Lineker, who is also exempt from some rules because he is technically a freelancer.

[sedwardsdrfc]

I see that Fiona Bruce is defended by BBC for her defence of Stanley Johnson breaking his wife’s nose because it was “a one off”. The timing of all this just highlights the hypocrisy.

If the guidelines are written to allow Lord Sugar to tweet directly telling people to vote Johnson and not labour many times and allow party donors, even the director general was head of a Tory member club, and Bruce’s comments plus the many other Tory leaning conflicts that have been highlighted but not a mild criticism of a policy, not a party or plea to vote, then the guidelines are wrong.

Too many people just hide behind “well that’s the rule” without questioning if it’s right or been applied fairly. Glad this has blown up you can see from the BBC senior leadership’s allegiance that this has slowly been creeping in for years. Better to make it obvious for all.

[coventryrover]

If you look at what he said it was fact.

Also, bbc give a seat to Andrew Neil  Clarkson etc.    All nite their opinion on other media but left alone........go figure eh

[The Beast]

The left think the bbc is right wing and the right think it’s left wing. Always have done.
I don’t particularly like the bbc and couldn’t care less about Linekar but it must be doing something for balance to achieve this.

This may be the most important discussion in the UK atm, freedom of the press and the media, there are certainly questions to be answered about why some can offer their views and others cannot. Independence of the bbc from government interference, any government is vital.

Abolish the license fee and make it stand on its own 2 feet as a private company? Or in some other vague way?

Makes me laugh how people moan about the licence fee then pay £100 a month for Murdoch's crap.
Braverman's language is disgraceful plus she's thick as mince, doesn't know the difference between tens of thousands, millions and billions or maybe that's just gaslighting.

[EasyforDennis]

BBC is wrong on this one imo. Even if your a gammon and pineapple type and love the nonsense Braverman comes out with what does it matter what Lineker says on his personal twitter feeds?

BBC needs to be politically neutral but it’s not like he did it on air or is a political correspondent. His personal opinions have no bearing on how he does his job like it might other roles.

Frankly the government at the moment are a shambles and the BBC seem to give them a easy ride.

This is why he has been suspended
https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/
and
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/conflicts-of-interest
He cannot tweet comments that break their impartiality and conflict of interests rules and not be expected to be disciplined. It is not a matter of free speech but a matter of breaking BBC rules. He can say what he like on twitter if he resigns from his BBC position.

Maybe during this discussion you should change your name to Bessie BLUE.

[BillyStubbsTears]

So it looks like the BBC have suspended him for his comments ,now wright and shearer have pulled out of hosting match of the day as well ,I don't see what he did wrong ,it was on his Twitter page not while he was hosting the program

https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/conflicts-of-interest
There you go he broke BBC rules!

Thanks for that.

From your first link:

"A potential conflict of interest arises when there is the possibility that an individual’s external activities or interests may affect, or be reasonably perceived as affecting, the BBC’s impartiality and its integrity."

So the BBC Chairperson, who donated £400k to the Tory party and arranged an £800k loan to PM Johnson a few weeks before landing the BBC job?

Alan Sugar who has saved a several year trolling job of Diane Abbot on Twitter?

Andrew Neil who was Chairman of the very right wing The Spectator whole he was the BBC's  chief political interviewer, and frequently expressed his opinion on party political issues on Twitter?

[belton rover]

I see that Fiona Bruce is defended by BBC for her defence of Stanley Johnson breaking his wife’s nose because it was “a one off”. The timing of all this just highlights the hypocrisy.

If the guidelines are written to allow Lord Sugar to tweet directly telling people to vote Johnson and not labour many times and allow party donors, even the director general was head of a Tory member club, and Bruce’s comments plus the many other Tory leaning conflicts that have been highlighted but not a mild criticism of a policy, not a party or plea to vote, then the guidelines are wrong.

Too many people just hide behind “well that’s the rule” without questioning if it’s right or been applied fairly. Glad this has blown up you can see from the BBC senior leadership’s allegiance that this has slowly been creeping in for years. Better to make it obvious for all.

She didn’t defend him. She said that some of his friends said it was a one off. She also said that she didn’t dispute what a guest was saying about him being a wife beater.
For the record, I’m not condoning what he did in any way - what he did was despicable.
But neither was Fiona Bruce.

[Branton Red]

Gary Lineker regularly makes political comments on Twitter. He's not been suspended previously.

He's been suspended specifically for stating "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”

Giving political opinions is one thing.

Comparing current day UK politicians or institutions to the Nazis in Germany is quite another.

Being confronted about the appropriateness of making such a statement and then refusing to apologies over it is quite another thing again.

Struggling to see how anyone can have any sympathy for the man let alone defend him.

Perhaps some on here need to take a lesson in history.

[tyke1962]

Gary Lineker regularly makes political comments on Twitter. He's not been suspended previously.

He's been suspended specifically for stating "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”

Giving political opinions is one thing.

Comparing current day UK politicians or institutions to the Nazis in Germany is quite another.

Being confronted about the appropriateness of making such a statement and then refusing to apologies over it is quite another thing again.

Struggling to see how anyone can have any sympathy for the man let alone defend him.

Perhaps some on here need to take a lesson in history.

Perhaps it's yourself who needs the lesson in history .

Control of the media , the right wing press and other media platforms allowed to spew any kind of comment that dehumanises vulnerable people in order to divert attention away from their own failings .

Anyone opposing them is shut down whilst they continue to go to to work on Mick Lynch , the nurses , benefit claimants and immigrants .

That was 1930's Germany where everything was blamed on the Jews.

Almost anything and anybody  to try and divide and conquer in order to keep things in the UK just the way they are and the system ultimately weighed heavily towards wealth and keeping their power .

You sir have fallen for their bile , lock , stock and barrel .

Does the immigration situation need a solution , yes it does .

Clearly you haven't worked out that the present UK government doesn't want a solution and their present policies are unworkable because it doesn't suit them to have a solution  for the very reasons I've explained .

[The Beast]

The point is we as a nation are being gaslighted by the right wing press. Deflected from the real problems and trying to appeal to the very lowest common denominator. Gary Lineker isn't allowed to air his view because he's 'new money', we take orders from 'old money', the powers behind the Mail, Sun, Telegraph, Express. Suella's language is like early 1930's nazi germany, in the way she is trying to demonise a certain group of people but then àgain that was championed by the Daily Mail, just like Suella will be now.

[bobbymax]

Gary Lineker regularly makes political comments on Twitter. He's not been suspended previously.

He's been suspended specifically for stating "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”

Giving political opinions is one thing.

Comparing current day UK politicians or institutions to the Nazis in Germany is quite another.

Being confronted about the appropriateness of making such a statement and then refusing to apologies over it is quite another thing again.

Struggling to see how anyone can have any sympathy for the man let alone defend him.

Perhaps some on here need to take a lesson in history.

I mean, WTAF! You've completely ignored the weapons-grade hypocrisy at play here, apart from the the fact that the very point the original tweet made has rather been proven by subsequent events. Lineker's removal was politically motivated and the support he's received from colleagues and others, inside and outside the game, suggest he has hit the nail on the head.

[The Beast]

Gary Lineker regularly makes political comments on Twitter. He's not been suspended previously.

He's been suspended specifically for stating "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”

Giving political opinions is one thing.

Comparing current day UK politicians or institutions to the Nazis in Germany is quite another.

Being confronted about the appropriateness of making such a statement and then refusing to apologies over it is quite another thing again.

Struggling to see how anyone can have any sympathy for the man let alone defend him.

Perhaps some on here need to take a lesson in history.

Perhaps it's yourself who needs the lesson in history .

Control of the media , the right wing press and other media platforms allowed to spew any kind of comment that dehumanises vulnerable people in order to divert attention away from their own failings .

Anyone opposing them is shut down whilst they continue to go to to work on Mick Lynch , the nurses , benefit claimants and immigrants .

That was 1930's Germany where everything was blamed on the Jews.

Almost anything and anybody  to try and divide and conquer in order to keep things in the UK just the way they are and the system ultimately weighed heavily towards wealth and keeping their power .

You sir have fallen for their bile , lock , stock and barrel .

Does the immigration situation need a solution , yes it does .

Clearly you haven't worked out that the present UK government doesn't want a solution and their present policies are unworkable because it doesn't suit them to have a solution  for the very reasons I've explained .

Absolutely 100% Tyke.

[Branton Red]

Perhaps it's yourself who needs the lesson in history .

Control of the media , the right wing press and other media platforms allowed to spew any kind of comment that dehumanises vulnerable people in order to divert attention away from their own failings .

Anyone opposing them is shut down whilst they continue to go to to work on Mick Lynch , the nurses , benefit claimants and immigrants .

That was 1930's Germany where everything was blamed on the Jews.

Almost anything and anybody  to try and divide and conquer in order to keep things in the UK just the way they are and the system ultimately weighed heavily towards wealth and keeping their power .

You sir have fallen for their bile , lock , stock and barrel .

Does the immigration situation need a solution , yes it does .

Clearly you haven't worked out that the present UK government doesn't want a solution and their present policies are unworkable because it doesn't suit them to have a solution  for the very reasons I've explained .

With respect you've missed my point in entirely.

I'm not defending the Tories or their Immigration Bill. I'm criticising Gary Lineker's puerile and inappropriate comparison to 1930s Nazi Germany.

A lesson in history. This is the Nazi party who were responsible for Kristallnacht; Guernica; the annexation of the Sudetenland; the invasion of Poland; the internment of gypsies, homosexuals and political opponents in forced labour camps; the ending of democratic elections; the banning of other political parties

And used the power of propaganda and of language to justify these actions both in advance and in the aftermath of said actions.

This is very language of 30s Germany that Lineker is drawing equivalence to in his tweet criticising the language of the Tories today.

Surely you can see past your dislike, even hatred, of the Tory party and their Immigration Bill and can see that drawing such equivalence is highly inappropriate.