Gary Lineker to receive 'talking to' by BBC after comparing UK government policy to Nazi Germany
Former England striker Gary Lineker is set to receive a talking to from the BBC after comparing the UK government's policies to Nazi Germany. Lineker currently works as a pundit for the BBC.
The retired striker recently tweeted a video of Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiling the government's plans for the illegal migration bill and wrote (via Daily Star):
"Good heavens, this is beyond awful."
When a Twitter user commented that Lineker's comments were 'out of order', Lineker replied, writing:
"There is no huge influx. 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?"
The BBC is apparently going to ‘speak to’ @GaryLineker about this tweet, which is ironic as it’s more accurate than most of the corporation’s actual news coverage. https://t.co/hVCEE1DWfu
The Conservative Party's deputy chairman Lee Anderson tweeted out urging BBC to take action. He wrote:
"This is just another example of how out of touch these overpaid stars are with the voting public. Instead of lecturing, Mr. Lineker should stick to reading out the football scores and flogging crisps."
A BBC spokesperson has since released a statement regarding the Gary Lineker saga. It read:
"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."
Gary Lineker responds to backlash over his comments
Gary Lineker has received his fair share of backlash for his recent comments. The former Barcelona and England striker has since responded to the incident, tweeting:
"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree."
🏻Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree. 👊🏻
The BBC are yet to take any formal action against Lineker following his comment. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds given its controversial nature.