Gary Lineker will be ‘spoken to by BBC’ after comparing UK migrant policy to 1930s Germany
GARY Lineker will be told off by BBC bosses after he compared Rishi Sunak’s new small boats bill to 1930s Germany.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster today said the Match of the Day presenter would be “spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities”.
GettyGary Lineker will be “spoken to” by BBC bosses after comparing the government’s Illegal Migration Bill to 1930s Germany[/caption]
Mr Lineker sparked major backlash yesterday when he took to Twitter to hit out at the Illegal Migration Bill, which bans migrants who arrive on small boats from ever settling in Britain.
The legislation will see illegal migrants swiftly detained and removed to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
But the bill faces an uphill battle against human rights groups and campaigners who argue it clashes with the European Convention on Human Right.
The government is expected to be taken to court over the legislation – but ministers vow they’re “up for the fight”.
Mr Lineker tweeted: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
Responding to another user who described him as “out of order”, he added: “We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
“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, and I’m out of order?”
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This morning Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she’s “very disappointed” by Mr Lineker’s comments.
“Equating our measures – which are lawful, necessary and fundamentally compassionate – to 1930s Germany is irresponsible and I disagree with that characterisation,” she told Good Morning Britain.
Some people called on Mr Lineker to be sacked for making the comparison.
Ms Braverman said that would be “a matter for the BBC” .
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick insisted Mr Lineker, who is “paid for by the British taxpayer”, is “far out of step” with the public.
He told Times Radio: “My children are the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and I think those sorts of words should not be thrown around lightly.”
“The public see people dying literally in the English Channel at the behest of some of the most evil criminal gangs we see in the world today, and they want the government to take action.
“And that’s exactly what we intend to do. We’re going to stop the boats.”
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Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson raged: “The BBC should disassociate themselves from these types of comments and ask themselves the question ‘is this the type of comment they expect from their publicly funded presenters?’
“Awful.”
As a sports presenter Mr Lineker isn’t bound by strict BBC social media rules in the same way news reporters are.
But he’s been accused by Tory MPs of frequently pushing boundaries of BBC impartiality guidelines.
Previously, the broadcaster’s complaints team found the ex-footballer guilty of breaking impartiality rules in a tweet asking if the Tories planned to “hand back their donations from Russian donors”.
This morning Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson told a fellow reporter on the Today Programme: “Let’s be clear, if you or I had said something like this, we’d be fired.”
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “The BBC has social media guidance, which is published. Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media. We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.
“We would expect Gary to be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities.”
