This Lineker thing

[BillyStubbsTears]

Apparently the BBC top brass are really annoyed that a major figure at the BBC is discussing politics online when not at the BBC.

I bet they are going to be furious when they meet the BBC that:

1) Employed as their top political interviewer Andrew Neill, who at the same time ran a politically right wing magazine and regularly tweeted his politically right wing views.

2) Had as one of their top celebrities Alan Sugar who had a long standing Twitter obsession with abusive trolling of Corbyn and Dianne Abbott.

3) Had as another of their star presenters, Jeremy Clarkson (yeah, I know! Me neither) who for years has been paid weekly to serve up lib-baiting, right wing monologues in the Sunday Times.

[drfchound]

 

[danumdon]

When the boiler goes on the blink i get a qualified gas fitter,

When the car plays up a get a qualified mechanic,

When my share portfolio goes tits up i get a qualified financial advisor,

When i want my political fill i go to Lineker's Twitter feed, NOT.

When my tax return is due i DO go to Lineker's accountant, just kidding!

I totally agree, Lineker along with any other "star" employed by the BBC or any organisation should be allowed to air their personal opinions like anyone else. People should be savvy enough to know that he mutters his own views and not necessarily his employers position.

We are a democracy aren't we ?

[BillyStubbsTears]

DD.

You are perfectly at liberty to agree with, disagree with or ignore Lineker's opinions. (Although you make a REALLY weird analogy - who are the trained professionals who tell us what is morally acceptable behaviour by politicians???)

But that's not the point. The point is that Tory MPs and the career Tories who run the BBC are foaming at the chops that Lineker should have dared to criticise the Tory Govt.

Odd that there wasn't a peep out of any of them when Alan Sugar tweeted this before the last election


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EECZZ_JXUAEZKE_?format=png&name=360x360

[BillyStubbsTears]

And if you agree that Lineker and anyone else should be allowed to air their opinions, presumably you're disgusted at the Tory MPs who say he shouldn't have that right, agreed?

[ncRover]

Did grown adults get in hissy-fits about others political views 20+ years ago? Who cares?

[Bentley Bullet]

https://youtu.be/WzqSuHy8G-o

[danumdon]

DD.

You are perfectly at liberty to agree with, disagree with or ignore Lineker's opinions. (Although you make a REALLY weird analogy - who are the trained professionals who tell us what is morally acceptable behaviour by politicians???)

But that's not the point. The point is that Tory MPs and the career Tories who run the BBC are foaming at the chops that Lineker should have dared to criticise the Tory Govt.

Odd that there wasn't a peep out of any of them when Alan Sugar tweeted this before the last election


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EECZZ_JXUAEZKE_?format=png&name=360x360

No really weird analogy about politicians, as far as im concerned they are not professionals in any sense, what they utter one day they change the next, and many are brought and paid for shysters, on both sides of th argument.

Like in anything they say you use your own judgment in what you perceive to be right.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Did grown adults get in hissy-fits about others political views 20+ years ago? Who cares?

Go ask the BBC top brass. They are the ones ostensibly obsessed with "balance" though in practice it only ever seems to go one way.

[danumdon]

And if you agree that Lineker and anyone else should be allowed to air their opinions, presumably you're disgusted at the Tory MPs who say he shouldn't have that right, agreed?

Absolutely, who are they to tell him what he can or cannot say, regardless of his position at the BBC, people should listen to what he has to say if they wish and judge him accordingly.

[ncRover]

Did grown adults get in hissy-fits about others political views 20+ years ago? Who cares?

Go ask the BBC top brass. They are the ones ostensibly obsessed with "balance" though in practice it only ever seems to go one way.

This is my qualm with some conservative “free-speech” warriors. They are actually very sensitive themselves. Everyone is nowadays. If your ideas are sound then you don’t need to censor others.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Did grown adults get in hissy-fits about others political views 20+ years ago? Who cares?

Go ask the BBC top brass. They are the ones ostensibly obsessed with "balance" though in practice it only ever seems to go one way.

This is my qualm with some conservative “free-speech” warriors. They are actually very sensitive themselves. Everyone is nowadays. If your ideas are sound then you don’t need to censor others.

That's because principles don't come into the equation. This is all about Culture War. Realise and accept that Culture War and winding up the angry English Nationalists is all that the Tories have left and it makes perfect sense for them to make Lineker's tweet a casus belli.

[Bentley Bullet]

I thought Lineker was more of a casus bellend.

[Branton Red]

Apparently the BBC top brass are really annoyed that a major figure at the BBC is discussing politics online when not at the BBC.

If you're going to give an opinion or start a debate it's always best not to begin with a false premise.

The BBC are apparently annoyed because Gary Lineker made a wholly inappropriate comparison between current UK politicians and those of Nazi Germany.

Lineker often tweets his opinion on political matters including most recently on Sue Gray, the Northern Ireland Protocol etc - there is no evidence that the BBC top brass expressed annoyance with those opinions.

Lineker is a celebrity presenter and not a journalist. He's therefore perfectly free IMO (and under his BBC contract) to express his political opinions just as much as anyone else.

The debate really is about whether the BBC should be accepting of it's celebrity employees making inappropriate public comments. What constitutes inappropriate. And where should the line be drawn.

Any comparison of today's politicians to Nazi Germany is clearly inappropriate. Regardless of Lineker's underlying view which I agree with re being against the Immigration Bill.

His comment is not just inappropriate but historically ignorant and childish. His failure to apologies (on the Nazi Germany comparison not on his opposition to the Bill) is really doing him no favours. I therefore find it impossible to have any sympathy for him.

Has he crossed a line whereby the BBC should dispense with his services? IMO no but if I were his boss I'd be calling him in for a chat and to give a warning on future behaviour. Which, reading between the lines, is exactly what the BBC are doing.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And what did the BBC do when Sugar was habitually abusing Diane Abbott on Twitter?

[BillyStubbsTears]

And what was it specifically that you objected to in Lineker's tweet?

[wilts rover]

Lineker is employed by the BBC to talk about football. What relevance has his political views to that?

If he were a political reporter/commentator or editor, then yes his views would be relevant. But what he thinks of this government, Nazi Germany or the Tibetan question will have very little to do with what he thought of this or that VAR decision/team selection - which is what he is (grossly overpaid) for.

[Bentley Bullet]

And what did the BBC do when Sugar was habitually abusing Diane Abbott on Twitter?

F**k all, just like when shows like Have I Got News For You and Mash Report habitually abuse whoever Tory is in the news at that specific time.

[wilts rover]

As to whether Lineker is correct or not- make your own minds up:

[ncRover]

He’s probably enjoying all this attention. He’s boring as f*** and tries to be politically edgy to stay relevant.

[SydneyRover]

And I thought mystic meg had just died

[DonnyOsmond]

And what did the BBC do when Sugar was habitually abusing Diane Abbott on Twitter?

F**k all, just like when shows like Have I Got News For You and Mash Report habitually abuse whoever Tory is in the news at that specific time.

Aye, like they should. The right wing snowflakes shouldn't be allowed to influence someone's job position.

[ravenrover]

After being called in told to "step back" from presenting MOTD !!
In a statement BBC said
It added he should "keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies". What????
Sharp arranges a loan for Johnson
Kuensberg criticises remainers
Bruce toryfies QT
Not a murmur
It just goes on and on

[DonnyOsmond]

Ian Wright has now said he won't appear on MOTD.

[glosterred]

Ian Wright has now said he won't appear on MOTD.

No great loss either of them

[danumdon]

The BBC have now made a massive rod for their own back, for consistency are they now going to ban every person who is not employed in a "professional political capacity " from airing any sort of political thought?

The nannying state taking hold with an even greater reach, what next, banning cartoons and kiddies shows in case they corrupt?

Unbelievably pathetic and backward thing to do, if we intend to treat the populace as imbeciles then it really is the start of end of days for this state.

Pathetic.

[MachoMadness]

Is this cancel culture?

When Attenborough documentaries about climate change are getting pulled from broadcast because it might upset the Right, is that cancel culture? Just trying to figure this thing out. Assuming the free speech types will be mad at both.

[normal rules]

Maybe he should take up a job in politics. He’d be a shoe in for any of the Leicester constituencies.

[ncRover]

This is all very strange.

It would seem the talk radio bunch are free speech for me not for thee.

[BillyStubbsTears]

This is all very strange.

It would seem the talk radio bunch are free speech for me not for thee.

You don't say...