March 11, 20232 yr Hopefully this will give the BBC the wake up call it needs to stop bowing to this Government. It's ludicrous that a sports presenter is being held to the same standards on political impartiality as those in the news division. Lineker's job has nothing to do with politics. I imagine we will either end up now with Linekar leaving the BBC and some half arsed fake apology from the BBC or the BBC backing down entirely, just as they did in the Naga Munchetty complaint case a few years ago with so much public opinion against them - although this is a lot more high profile and there has been significantly more backlash than in the Naga Munchetty situation.
March 11, 20232 yr Agreed but the BBC can't stand up to this government because they are owned by this government now (Tory Director General and Tory Chairman). It is a Government state propaganda channel now.
March 11, 20232 yr Good news! Keir Starmer (who can be very wishy washy on many issues for my liking) has come out strong for team Lineker.
March 11, 20232 yr Author Agreed but the BBC can't stand up to this government because they are owned by this government now (Tory Director General and Tory Chairman). It is a Government state propaganda channel now. Agreed!! Like North Korean statw media, attacking the opposition. It needs to go.
March 11, 20232 yr Really happy to see how this is all unfolding. Hopefully labour will do a big shake up of the BBC once they get into government and perhaps change its funding model as well.
March 11, 20232 yr Author Thr Tories rook control of it the SECOND they got in by threatening its funding. Mad May would only take questions from BBTory sycophants near the end, which shows how much they are controlled. State propaganda.
March 11, 20232 yr I'm conscious not to peddle conspiracy theories but part of me thinks maybe this is the intended public reaction from BBC management? It's well known that many of the senior BBC Board are effectively Tory plants (including the DG and Chairman). Maybe this is all part of the Tories' efforts to try and defund the BBC in the long term. I just find it bizarre that a corporation this large and well versed in dealing with this type of controversy has let it get this far in terms of the negative press. It's easy to forget that the story had died down by yesterday and the BBC management essentially lit the fuse by asking Linekar to step aside from MoTD yesterday. There wasn't really any pressure even from the Tories publicly for them to do that. You just have to hope that the rest of the BBC Board removes the DG from post (which seems unlikely) or there's enough pressure on Sunak to sack the Chairman. Really happy to see how this is all unfolding. Hopefully labour will do a big shake up of the BBC once they get into government and perhaps change its funding model as well. I'd like to think, and hope that, Labour will make the BBC truly independent of the government once it gets back into power. Put in place what is necessary to prevent anyone who has previously stood for a political party sitting on the BBC Board and remove the power for the Government to appoint the BBC Chairman (and non-executive members) and leave the decisions with the BBC Board entirely as to who takes these positions. This Government has really exposed the fact that the BBC governance structure does not work if the government of the day is purposely interfering with its independence.
March 11, 20232 yr I think it is only a matter of time before a news presenter says something that the BBC won’t like. Then we could see a mass exodus from the newsroom
March 11, 20232 yr Author What happened with Andrew Neil and Chris Packham making comments? They were Tories and they were attacking the opposition, so that was fine x
March 11, 20232 yr It’s brilliant that Shearer and Wright are showing solidarity with Lineker. If only the viewers could boycott the show tomorrow as well but that’s probably asking too much. Linekar deserves all he gets. His Tweets were bang out of order. What if I'd said something similar about Nazis here? It's a very sore subject. Plus he refused to answer his phone to his bosses and refused to go in and see them. Would you ignore calls from your boss? Anyone who stands by him should be fired too. I can't believe you all supporting him here. Free Speech, yes, but what he said justifies his sacking, permanently. Edited March 11, 20232 yr by crazy chris
March 11, 20232 yr Author SPECTACULAR own goal!!! News media reporting it around thr word are calling it "supposed" impartiality and "a controversial term"!!! They're moving closer snd closer to openly saying what it is: Tory state propaganda.
March 11, 20232 yr Now Sunak gets his oar in: As Prime Minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats. Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government. “While that process is ongoing, it is important that we maintain perspective, particularly given the seriousness of the issue at hand. Forty-five thousand people crossed the channel illegally in the past two years, many of whom have been exploited or trafficked by criminal gangs, putting their lives in danger. “We need to break this cycle of misery once and for all and the policy we set out this week I believe aims to do just that. It is not only the fair and moral thing to do, it is also the compassionate thing to do. “There are no easy answers to solving this problem, but I believe leadership is about taking the tough decisions to fix problems. I know not everyone will always agree, but I do believe this is fair and right.”
March 11, 20232 yr Linekar deserves all he gets. His Tweets were bang out of order. What if I'd said something similar about Nazis here? It's a very sore subject. Plus he refused to answer his phone to his bosses and refused to go in and see them. Would you ignore calls from your boss? Anyone who stands by him should be fired too. I can't believe you all supporting him here. Free Speech, yes, but what he said justifies his sacking, permanently. So fire all the people who pulled out of today's football programmes then.
March 11, 20232 yr So fire all the people who pulled out of today's football programmes then. Yes. They're in breach of contract.
March 11, 20232 yr Author Linekar deserves all he gets. His Tweets were bang out of order. What if I'd said something similar about Nazis here? It's a very sore subject. Plus he refused to answer his phone to his bosses and refused to go in and see them. Would you ignore calls from your boss? Anyone who stands by him should be fired too. I can't believe you all supporting him here. Free Speech, yes, but what he said justifies his sacking, permanently. WROOONG!!! Free speech fot Tory news presenters, but not a Labour football pundit? Stop supporting the fash!!!!
March 11, 20232 yr Linekar deserves all he gets. His Tweets were bang out of order. What if I'd said something similar about Nazis here? It's a very sore subject. Plus he refused to answer his phone to his bosses and refused to go in and see them. Would you ignore calls from your boss? Anyone who stands by him should be fired too. I can't believe you all supporting him here. Free Speech, yes, but what he said justifies his sacking, permanently. If you could explain what was wrong with his tweet by quoting from the actual tweet itself, I might be able to take you seriously. Might. But you can’t because as usual, you decide your opinion based on the person rather than the action. You love the government so anyone who speaks out is automatically in the wrong, no matter how valid the criticism. Thankfully this is highlighting how unclear and ridiculous the impartiality rule is. They only bring that word out when it’s something that could upset the government. I know a BBC worker and he confirms that they are shit scared of the Tories and the Daily Mail and this is exactly what we’re seeing here. I wonder, do you want Fiona Bruce sacked for minimising domestic violence?
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