DAILY MAIL COMMENT: BBC is right to put Lineker on the bench
- READ MORE – DAILY MAIL COMMENT: BBC is flunking the test on political bias
It has been a long and slightly painful process, but the BBC has finally taken action against Gary Lineker over his odious – and staggeringly ignorant – comparison between Rishi Sunak’s small boats crackdown and Germany under the Nazis in the 1930s.
When other staff are banned from publicly expressing their political views, it’s obviously right that the £1.35million man should not be allowed to return to the Match Of The Day chair until he promises to obey the rules too.
So full credit to director general Tim Davie for getting it right in the end.
What happens next is anyone’s guess, with Lineker’s fellow presenters last night lining up to boycott the show in ‘solidarity’. But, before getting too carried away with their eagerness to virtue-signal, they should consider a few facts.
Firstly, it’s outrageous that Lineker should arrogantly assume the right to pontificate in public when other BBC presenters on much lower pay keep their own views private so as not to undermine the political impartiality which is part of the BBC’s charter.
It has been a long and slightly painful process, but the BBC has finally taken action against Gary Lineker (pictured) over his odious – and staggeringly ignorant – comparison between Rishi Sunak’s small boats crackdown and Germany under the Nazis in the 1930s
Yes, he’s a football show host not a news reporter. But, as Lineker knows only too well, his name is synonymous with the corporation and anything he says to his eight million Twitter followers inevitably reflects upon his employers.
Another fact is the hard reality that although Lineker and his co-hosts don’t like the Prime Minister’s policy, millions of ordinary voters – the same people who pay the licence fee to fund their fat salaries – do.
More than 29,000 Mail+ readers have voted in a poll asking whether Lineker should be fired for his tweet – and 96 per cent said yes, he should.
The Mail has no time for cancel culture.
But nor do we have any sympathy for a man who thinks a popular policy from a democratically elected party – one, remember, aimed at smashing the business model of people smugglers and saving lives – has any connection whatsoever with the monster who set out to annihilate the entire Jewish race.
No negotiations, PM
When it comes to war, words matter. So when Mr Sunak speaks of negotiation between Ukraine and Putin’s Russia being ‘inevitable’ it’s not surprising that concerns are raised.
The only person who can benefit from such talk right now is the murderer in the Kremlin whose illegal and immoral war is causing untold misery.
How do you even begin to negotiate with such a man? Who could possibly believe that any concessions granted wouldn’t immediately become the launch pad for his next blood-soaked adventure?
The only way this war can end is with a Ukraine victory. The West’s job is to give them the weapons they need to finish the task – and give them now.
Will le love-in last?
Apropos Mr Sunak’s attempts to solve the Channel boats crisis, the Mail applauds the energy and zeal with which he has set about tackling the issue.
And we sincerely hope his decision to hand over a whopping £480million to France to pay for more police patrols along the coast will go some way to making a difference.
But the PM will forgive our concerns that he’s in danger of throwing good money after bad. Successive prime ministers have already sent hundreds of millions of pounds to Paris to little avail.
Mr Sunak and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron certainly looked pleased with their deal yesterday, hugging and back-slapping like long-lost brothers.
Cordial relations with our Gallic neighbours are, of course, welcome. But British voters now will rightly demand results from both of them. Mere bon mots and bonhomie won’t cut the mustard.
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