Gary Lineker hits back after home secretary says his migrant policy remarks were ‘irresponsible’
Gary Lineker has said it is “great to see the freedom of speech champions come out in force” after the home secretary branded his comments about the government’s new asylum policy as “irresponsible”.
Suella Braverman told ITV’s Good Morning Britain she was “very disappointed” after Lineker said the “immeasurably cruel policy” had been directed at “the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.
Ms Braverman said: “Equating our measures – which are lawful, necessary and fundamentally compassionate – to 1930s Germany is irresponsible and I disagree with that characterisation.”
Asked if the Match Of The Day presenter should resign or be sacked, she said: “That’s a matter for the BBC and they will resolve that.”
She invited Lineker to visit England’s ports to “see what the communities in Kent and Dover and actually all around the UK are feeling about this issue”.
A BBC source told the Press Association news agency that the corporation is taking the matter of Lineker’s initial tweets “seriously” and expects to have a “frank conversation” with the 62-year-old former England striker.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster, which has impartiality guidelines, had earlier said Lineker will be “reminded of his responsibilities on social media”.
It comes after Lineker shared a Twitter video put out by Ms Braverman in which she unveiled government plans to stop migrant boats crossing the Channel.
“Good heavens, this is beyond awful,” Lineker wrote.
Another Twitter user, responding to Lineker’s post, described his comment as “out of order”, adding that it was “easy to pontificate when it doesn’t affect you”.
Lineker responded: “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?”
In an apparent joke about the reaction from Ms Braverman and other Conservative MPs to his tweet, the former Tottenham striker tweeted this morning: “Morning all. Anything going on?”
He then tweeted: “Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.”
Minutes later he posted in a follow-up tweet: “I have never known such love and support in my life than I’m getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot. I’ll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice. Cheers all.”
It comes after immigration minister Robert Jenrick joined Ms Braverman in criticising Lineker and told Times Radio: “My children are the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and I think those sorts of words should not be thrown around lightly.
“Gary Lineker is paid for by the British taxpayer and it’s disappointing that he is so far out of step with the British public.”
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Conservative Party deputy chairman, Lee Anderson, wrote on Twitter: “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.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she does not think it is “right to make comparisons with the 1930s” after the comments but “people can have their own views”.
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Small boat plan is ‘necessary’, says Sunak
BBC director-general Tim Davie previously warned staff over their use of social media when he took on the role at the end of 2020, and guidelines around social media use have since been updated.
Staff were told they need to follow editorial guidelines and editorial oversight in the same way as when they create BBC content.
A spokesman for the corporation 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.”
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Lineker has fallen foul of the broadcaster’s impartiality guidelines in the past.
In October, the BBC’s executive complaints unit ruled that Lineker had breached its rules with a tweet about Russia and the Conservative Party.
On that occasion, the complaints team ruled that although Lineker was not a journalist, he had an additional responsibility for impartiality under the BBC’s guidance which states high standards apply to those “who nevertheless have an additional responsibility to the BBC because of their profile on the BBC”.
UK
King praises response to ‘lawless’ UK riots in Christmas message – as he gives ‘personal’ thanks to medics
The King has praised the community response to the “anger and lawlessness” of this summer’s riots in towns and cities around the UK in his annual Christmas message.
Charles, 76, also used the message, filmed by Sky News at the chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in central London, to thank doctors and nurses who cared for him and his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales through their cancer treatment this year.
Drawing on the Nativity story’s theme of listening to others, the King said: “Through listening, we learn to respect our differences, to defeat prejudice, and to open up new possibilities.
“I felt a deep sense of pride here in the United Kingdom when, in response to anger and lawlessness in several towns this summer, communities came together, not to repeat these behaviours, but to repair.
“To repair not just buildings, but relationships. And, most importantly, to repair trust; by listening and, through understanding, deciding how to act for the good of all.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla attend church at Sandringham on Christmas morning. Pic: PA
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Almost 1,000 people were arrested during the summer riots, which came in response to misinformation around the deadly stabbing of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport in July.
The King visited the Merseyside town after the killings and the ensuing disorder, during which rioters attacked hotels housing migrants.
His final public engagement of the year was in Walthamstow, east London, where thousands gathered in a counter-protest to condemn the rioting this summer.
The King’s Christmas message spoke of the need to support one another, as “all of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life – be it mental or physical”.
“The degree to which we help one another – and draw support from each other, be we people of faith or of none – is a measure of our civilisation as nations,” he said.
He added that “those who dedicate their lives to helping others… continually impress me” and he is “thinking especially of the many thousands of professionals and volunteers here in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth who, with their skills and out of the goodness of their heart, care for others – often at some cost to themselves”.
The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children Louis, Charlotte and George on Christmas Day. Pic: PA
Reflecting on his cancer treatment, which will continue into next year, he gave his “special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed”.
He also thanked members of the public for their well-wishes after he and the Princess of Wales, 42, returned to public duties in April and September respectively – following courses of cancer treatment.
They and other members of the Royal Family attended church near the Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Christmas morning.
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How Sky News filmed the King’s message
Thoughts with people in ‘Middle East, central Europe and Africa’
The King began his message by recalling his visit to 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations with the Queen in June.
He described meeting “remarkable veterans” and noted that “during previous commemorations we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era”.
But he said: “On this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict – in the Middle East, in central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere – pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods.”
He thanked humanitarian organisations working in conflict zones and referenced the gospels’ references to conflict and the “values with which we can overcome” them.
Signing off, he wished “you and all those you love a most joyful and peaceful Christmas”.
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