To carry on applauding Gary Lineker....2 - hoping to see BBC bosses heads roll.

[Nimbostratus100]

Because he was speaking the truth and he is entitled to, without being censored.

I am delighted to see the number of other sports commentators supporting him.

Now lets see Davie resign

YANBU. I like what a pp quoted about Emily Maitlis, that Gary was allowed to criticise Qatar but not the UK. Free speech my arse.

It's the sheer hypocrisy of the BBC that irritated me.

To paraphrase John Sopel, isn't it a good job impartiality doesn't extend to someone who donated £400k to the Tory party and facilitated a £800k loan to the then prime minister, just before they are made chairman of the BBC?

Is it within the BBC’s power to get rid of the Chairman, who is a political appointee? I don’t know what that process looks like, compared to how they respond to a presenter.

Davie said he isn't going anywhere.

Isn't that the point when they usually do?

YANBU

Nope.

I'll defend GL right to say what he wants but not to say whatever he wants and work at the BBC.

Freedom of speech does not mean Freedom from responsibility

But why should he be responsible? He's freelance, for a start. And he's a sports journalist/reporter, not a political one.

Funny how he was allowed to condemn - on the BBC itself and not just Twitter - the regime in Qatar when the world cup was on.

The point is consistency. Sugar, Andrew Neil, Ian Hislop and many others have well known political views which they share. Why is it that on this occasion Lineker isn’t permitted to share (when as pointed out above he was able to express a view in Qatar)?

Hopefully the BBC will be no more and Lineker et al will all be sacked

Kind of feels like the Harry and the monarchy furore. Gary and the BBC. 2 long established traditional firms. Both seriously damaged by the controversy. Let's hope both are replaced by something better.

I'm not sure though whether that is actually out there (the better alternative I mean). I'd like it to be, just not sure it actually is.

the whole right wing top brass at the Beeb should go. People have asked on Twitter that GL had tweeted in support of the Bill would he be sanctioned like this? Absolutely not. So much for impartiality BS.

Saint Gary of Lineker has been warned before about his social media use. In the real world people get sacked for what they post on personal SM accounts

Gary Lineker earns £1.35m for hosting a once a week show

Gary Lineker is embroiled in a case with the HMRC over £4.9m tax they say he owes

Just thought it was worth reminding people that he would normally be castigated on MN

So if he had tweeted in support of the legislation/the government, that would have been OK?

There is zero chance, whatsoever, that he would have been censured for praising the government’s words and policies.

Sanctioning him is completely indefensible, particularly given that other presenters regularly air political views.

Shocking isn't it. So biased. So controlled. Scary.

Braverman is dangerous too, choosing to twist the news to suit her policies. Recent experience of her lies, her poor research into the truth and her willingness to twist information to support her rightwing views.

I think we’re all sleep walking into a complete lack of freedom.

The BBC needs to clear house.

Its upper echelons are stacked with Tory donors and supporters and they have now demonstrated a complete inability to be impartial.

Their actions towards Lineker, given their inactions towards others, are entirely indefensible by any honest-minded person.

As has been pointed out (even by a BBC journalist), zero action would have been taken if he expressed agreement with Braverman.

He is certainly no saint. Is actually crazy how he is being made into one. Had no qualms about being paid for going to Qatar, is a tax dodger and does not live in the real world. He doesn't have to live amongst the problems that many are experiencing when living near migrant hotels for example.

...and yet he still pocketed around £1.6million from the BBC commentating on a World Cup that boosted the Qatari economy and profile which he, apparently found so repugnant.

He justified this as he wasn't paid by Qatar. He is still a hypocrite

As to the argument that he is self employed, he would surely still be bound by the ethics and policies of whoever he works for? That has certainly been the case when I have worked in that way

All of the arguments about whether or not Gary Lineker is a good person are completely besides the point.

YANBU. MOTD was shite. The Tory top brass at the BBC have shown they are as incompetent and corrupt as the Tory party itself.🙈

Absolutely-free speech shouldn’t depend on whether we approve of the person saying it.

But how can anyone take him seriously when he is so far removed from the reality. He has taken in refugees sure. But you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have been carefully screened and selected. Hardly the same thing as selecting a random young man off one of the boats.
That is what is getting peoples backs up. Being preached to by a multi millionaire who lives very differently to the vast majority of us.