To think this isn’t actually the BBC’s fight?

[notonbodycomparisonsites]

Hear me out… I’m not very politically minded. This is my view as a lay person with unlimited access to the news and the internet…

But my personal opinion is that the BBC shouldn’t be held to task like this, not at this time.

They definitely need to assess their policies on who is allowed to say what and when. But the fact is that a public figure disagreed with the government, and the government didn’t want their actions criticised publicly, so they pulled out the ‘we own the BBC card’ and used BBC policy to attempt to shut the matter up. As far as I’m concerned that seems like a misuse of power, and as much as the BBC need to sort themselves out, I’d rather acknowledge that I’m uncomfortable we even got here to begin with!

For what it’s worth, I don’t actually agree with Gary Lineker’s opinion on the immigration matter and the 1930’s Germany blah blah blah… but I’m still glad I live in a society where I got to hear him say it .

So… AIBU for thinking that we should soon be hearing from the government with a little apology for causing such a major fucking mess?

(Please don’t ask me anything about politics)

It’s an understandable reaction, but an inadvisable way to run a company.

Do the Government own the BBC? It's a public broadcaster not a state owned.

'I wonder what GL gets out of having a huge twitter fan base. I guess it must be quite intoxicating'.
There are loads of people on Twitter with huge fan bases, he's not unique by any means, Elon Musk has 131 million followers - what does he get out of it? Some people only have a couple of hundred. What difference how many followers people have make, and why would it be intoxicating (unless you're young, just starting out or find that sort of thing thrilling). I doubt GL really cares who follows him.
Twitter is just another platform to express opinions on, bit like this one. All comes back to freedom of speech, the right to express a view.

This is all very true.

GL is an easy target in that respect. As I mentioned before I don’t actually agree that this policy is in any way similar to policies written in Nazi germany. But the nuance is there, he did NOT say that it is the same as the holocaust and in actual fact all the intelligent people that read his tweet most likely understood that quite quickly. And most still thought he was chatting out of his arse, because he’s a bit of a dick.

The fact he’s an easy target probably simply meant that whoever decided to cry to Daddy BBC from no. 10 thought it would be a swift kill and then back to business with heralding the new policy. But as we’ve identified, people aren’t actually that stupid en masse and a lot of people are wondering why GL got hit so hard. I don’t think anyone is wrong for wondering why it’s been blown so out of proportion. A play definitely went wrong somewhere it seems!!

“His policies” has made me cackle 😂

Well personally I think anyone who doesn’t think of the Holocaust when nazi Germany is mentioned is lacking in more than quite a lot of brain cells. And being more than a complete dick by stating that those that do link the two are stupid.

So I will leave it at that and move on with my day because I don’t believe someone who says that wishes to discuss this topic properly in good faith.

@LemonSwan I’m of the belief that you can’t correct past mistakes by destroying the past. You can’t only think of the holocaust and ignore all of the policies and the structure that lead to the holocaust. If GL believes this policy is on that slippery slope, that’s his prerogative and opinion, but it doesn’t mean he thinks this new policy IS the holocaust; and I think he would be insulted by anybody that insisted that must be what he meant. He didn’t and it’s important that people use nuance when reading statements online.

We’re not his bosses and he has zero power. After this debacle he has significant influence and I’m delighted.

The BBC has caved in to Tory pressure. If Lineker had agreed with the Tory policy nothing would have happened! How can a Tory Director General working under a Tory Chairman claim to interpret impartiality rules fairly? It's disgraceful.

I think anyone who doesn’t think of the Holocaust when nazi Germany is mentioned is lacking in more than quite a lot of brain cells.

He didn’t mention Nazi Germany.

Stop trying to gaslight people

He said, which is clear enough, that he has a problem with the language used about migrants and that its not disimilar from the language used in 1930s Germany

The German government of the day worked really really hard to dehumanise the Jews (and other groups) with their language and propaganda.

Most intelligent and decent people recoil at similarities of language to those times.

Firstly I agree with GL.

Secondly I think the problem is plenty of other BBC people tweet and write political stuff as mentioned before - not a problem apparently.

MPs have tab gigs and second jobs - again not a problem apparently.

But GL is in trouble because it was against gov policy he was tweeting? From his own account - not the MOTD account, not saying it on MOTD. It’s just not very consistent.

@Fluffyslippersohyes exactly. For some reason somebody thought this would be an easy win but the facts don’t make sense, whether you agree with his statement or not. And even if people are upset at the BBC caving under the pressure, I really do wonder what the alternative would have been in that situation if no. 10 really was ‘insistent’. Did they have a choice really?

These former footballers are so overpriviliged, rich I wish the bbc would sack them all. Obviously so confident of their vitally important role for the bbc/ society that they can chuck their toys out of the pram and assume someone will grovel and pick them up.

You do know do you, that he has taken in two refugees... into his 'mansion'.

He didn't lecture you. He expressed an opinion. He's entitled to do that, like it or not.

Salverus, stating you would be happy with the erosion of free speech, for any reason at all, is a very strange position and not one I can ever fathom!

And people of privilege have the same right to express an opinion as anyone else! Ttwinkletoes.

Surely only GL gave an opinion

Deborah Meaden (BBC Dragons Den every Thursday) and Richard Osman (every day BBC2) give political opinions.

Why aren't they suspended too?

Robbie Gibb was appointed to the BBC board on 29/04/21

Just over a month later he was liking tweets from Tory MPs saying how desperate they are to kick out the SNP

twitter.com/writesbright/status/1562570519097982978?s=46&t=Uw4lJNwxFZFnX0Xs3doHYg

Same reason every celeb has a social media presence these days - branding/publicity.

He makes a lot of money from his podcast production business; having a thriving Twitter following probably sends a lot of subscribers to the podcasts.

And anyone who is offended by somebody else mentioning the interwar period, because that reminds you that the Second World War happened a decade later and you can’t cope with that, is also lacking a few brain cells.

And that could be ok if everyone were treated the same. Alan Sugar is a prominent BBC employee, says terrible things about eg Corbyn & Mick Lynch. Never sanctioned. Deborah Meaden is a prominent BBC employee & regularly criticises this government. Never sanctioned. Andrew Neil when a BBC employee was editor of The Spectator & very vocal. Never sanctioned.

They get paid the going rate. Lineker would earn a lot more if he left the BBC.

Ttwinkletoes you're the one implying he should keep his mouth shut because he's a celebrity!😆

My point to you is that so what if he is? Celebrities and anyone else in any position of privilege have the same right to express an opinion as anyone else. Similarly, Musicians get a lot of flak especially in America for beinging politics into music when they are just as entitled as anyone else to choose to be political.

The BBC have messed up big time as they appear to be 'cancelling' someone who does work for them (not an employee) for criticising the Tory party, whilst allowing people in a similar position to praise the Tory party.

I'd bet they won't try and 'cancel' Ian Hislop, who also works for the BBC, criticises the Tory Party (& others), but also edits Private Eye.