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Gary Lineker has sought to clear up any confusion over his absence from Match of the Day on Saturday night time, following his temporary suspension by BBC bosses over his criticism of the federal government’s plan for asylum seekers.
BBC soccer protection was plunged into disaster final month after Lineker was requested to step again from presenting duties, prompting his fellow presenters, pundits and commentators to withdraw from reveals in solidarity. He was reinstated three days later.
In a nod to the latest row, the previous England footballer wrote on Twitter within the hours earlier than Saturday’s broadcast: “Just so there’s no misunderstanding, I won’t be doing @BBCMOTD tonight. I’m not suspended, just on holiday. Back next week.”
Among these to reply was Monty Python actor Eric Idle, who joked that he deliberate to “go on holiday tonight in sympathy with Gary”. Lineker shared the response to his practically 9 million followers, captioned with laughing emojis.
It comes amid elevated scrutiny of the social media output of Lineker and different BBC employees after the row prompted director-general Tim Davie to order an impartial assessment of the broadcaster’s social media tips.
Reinstating Lineker final month, Mr Davie pointed to “grey areas” within the steering launched beneath his watch in 2020 and stated Lineker “will abide by the editorial guidelines” till the assessment is full.
While Lineker, a freelancer, isn’t sure by the identical impartiality guidelines as employees journalists, BBC steering states that its high-profile stars are anticipated “to avoid taking sides on party-political issues”.
The row was sparked after he described a Home Office video of Suella Braverman introducing the federal government’s new invoice – which might ban individuals who arrive in Britain in small boats from ever claiming asylum within the UK – as “beyond awful”.
(BBC)
Replying to a Twitter person who stated “it was “easy to pontificate when it doesn’t affect you”, Lineker added: “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?”
His remarks got here as the house secretary – who has beforehand warned of “an invasion” on the south coast – was closely criticised over her “inflammatory” declare in parliament that 100 million potential refugees “are coming here” – regardless of simply 89,000 individuals making asylum claims final yr.
The presenter stated earlier this week that he was “still bewildered” by the “silly” row over his feedback, calling it “so disproportionate”.
“I never contemplated it would be an issue at all,” he advised the Rest is Politics podcast, recalling having beforehand advised Mr Davie that the “two things” he would “not back down on” had been the refugee disaster and local weather change – to which he claimed the BBC chief “agreed”.
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