Gary Lineker – latest: BBC talks with presenter ‘moving in right direction’ as disruption continues
According to BBC News, there are hopes a resolution will be reached soon but not all issues are ‘fully resolved’
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Talks between BBC and Gary Lineker are believed to be “moving in the right direction” after a second day of disruption to the corporation’s sports programming.
There is “growing confidence” that the former England player will return to host the popular BBC show, according to reports,
According to BBC News, there are hopes a resolution will be reached soon but not all issues are “fully resolved.”
The Women’s Super League Chelsea v Manchester United game on BBC Two kicked off with no pre-match presentation and no pundits tonight.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s football phone-in programme 606 will also not air again tonight, according to Sky News.
Mr Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day for almost a quarter of a century, has been embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.
BBC boss should use Match of the Day’s 20-minute silence to consider if row could have been handled any worse
Gary Lineker: How much is the Match of the Day presenter paid?
How the Gary Lineker and Match of the Day chaos unfolded - and the repercussions for the BBC
Gary Lineker: History of Match of the Day host’s political tweets
We’re pausing our live coverage for the evening but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.
'Gary Lineker for PM’
Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square chanted “Stop the Bill” as MPs debated the Illegal Migration Bill on Monday night.
David Locket, who held a sign that read “Gary Lineker for PM,” said: “I’m appalled that the only people that seem to speak up for refugees are retired footballers.
“The idea that desperate people in little dinghies are some sort of invasion of this country actually makes me feel sick.”
He added: “The language they’re using actually is the language of the 1930s, and it makes it impossible to actually seek asylum in this country.”
BBC Governors ‘should not be appointed by government'
The impartiality row over Lineker’s tweet has also raised further questions about the position of BBC chairman Richard Sharp, after it emerged he had helped former prime minister Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility.
An investigation is currently under way into Mr Sharp’s appointment to the position.
Asked about Mr Sharp’s removal from the position, Mr Dyke said: “I’m not sure I do think he should go.
“I personally hope there’s an opportunity in this inquiry to look at the whole way that the chairman and the governors get appointed at the BBC.
“Because I think…we’re now in a world where they shouldn’t be appointed by the Government of the day.”
Theresa May says small boats bill ‘shuts door’ to trafficking victims
Former prime minister Theresa May has criticised Rishi Sunak’s small boats crackdown – warning that the new asylum bill “shuts the door” on genuine victims of modern slavery.
Raising doubts about the PM’s promise to “stop the boats”, the former Tory leader said anyone who believed the legislation would halt “illegal migration once and for all is wrong”.
Ms May condemned the “blanket dismissal” of anyone facing persecution who arrives by authorised routes, telling the Commons: “By definition, someone fleeing for their life will more often than not be unable to access a legal route.”
Ms May also raised her concerns about genuine trafficking victims – telling MPs that Suella Braverman’s Illegal Migration Bill would “remove support from the victims of trafficking and modern slavery”.
She added: “As it currently stands, we are shutting the door to victims who are being trafficked into slavery into the UK. The Home Office knows this bill means that genuine victims of modern slavery will be denied support.”
Conservative MPs were set to vote through Illegal Migration Bill at the second reading stage on Monday night – but a growing number of backbenchers have made clear their opposition to current plans.
Former BBC director-general says U-turn is ‘5-0’ win for Lineker
A former BBC director-general has said the reinstatement of Gary Lineker as host of Match Of The Day is like “a 5-0 win” for the sports presenter.
Greg Dyke, who is also a former chair of the Football Association (FA), said there was a perception that the broadcaster had been “bullied” by the Government into its initial decision to remove Linker from the programme.
Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr, Mr Dyke said: “Today’s announcement is like a 5-0 win for Gary Lineker really, or maybe 5-1.
“As I understand it, this was the very solution that was offered to the BBC on Friday, and they turned it down – now they’ve accepted it.”
Mr Dyke was director-general of the BBC from 2000 to 2004, but resigned following heavy criticism of the BBC’s news reporting process in the Hutton Inquiry.
He also held the post of FA chairman from 2013 to 2016.
He told Marr: “In the 20 years since I left the BBC, I’ve never criticised the leadership of the BBC because I think it’s a tough job, as you know, really.
“And I think by and large, if you’re an ex-director, generally your job is to walk away.
“But in this case, I think the perception out there, the perception amongst the public is, is exactly what you said: that it looks like the Government has bullied the BBC into taking this (original) decision.
“Now, I don’t know whether that’s true or not. I have no idea. But if that’s the perception, it’s very bad news for the BBC.”
It’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment at which the BBC lost its mind over Gary Lineker | Comment
Tom Peck’s take on the events of the last few days: Could it possibly be that when, six days ago, Gary Lineker replied to a somewhat random member of the public on Twitter with some slightly incendiary but still carefully worded criticism of the government, it actually just wasn’t that much of a big deal?
That maybe, you know, it didn’t need to lead every single BBC news bulletin for almost a full week. That it didn’t need to lead to a flagship sports programme being taken off air for the first time in its 60 year history – which is more than any pandemic or war has ever managed.
It’s hard to pinpoint the precise moment at which the BBC lost its mind. Certainly, it was long gone by Sunday night, when the host of the BBC News at Ten was sitting inside Broadcasting House in Central London, doing live interviews with their media correspondent, standing in the street outside Broadcasting House, about what he “was hearing” about the news company at which both of them work. That there were “hopes of a deal in the next 24 hours.”
This is the kind of reporting that usually happens when wars end, when nation states break up and new ones are formed. Or at least when, for roughly the ten millionth time, Brexit doesn’t actually get done.
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when the BBC lost its mind on Lineker | Tom Peck
This is the kind of reporting that usually happens when wars end, when nation states break up and new ones are formed
What will social media review mean for BBC?
The director-general at the BBC, Tim Davie, has announced a review into social media guidelines as he recognised “the potential confusion caused by the grey areas” of the guidance, following the recent impartiality row over a tweet by Gary Lineker.
Who will lead the review?
The BBC has said the probe with be led by an independent expert, who will shortly be announced and will report to the corporation.
The BBC is yet to confirm when the review will begin and how long it is expected to take.
What will it look at?
While announcing the review, Mr Davie acknowledged that the corporation must be impartial but also has a “a commitment to freedom of expression” which creates a “difficult balancing act” due to differences in staff contracts, whether they are on-air or off-air, and the differences in audiences and social media profiles.
As a freelance broadcaster for the BBC, Lineker is not a permanent member of staff, nor is he responsible for news or political content, so in accordance with the current guidelines he is not subject to same rules on impartiality as permanent employees.
Due to the lack of clarity that has been highlighted by the impartiality row, Mr Davie confirmed that the forthcoming review will have a “particular focus” on how guidelines apply to “freelancers outside news and current affairs”.
He also confirmed that while the review is taking place “the BBC’s current social media guidance remains in place”.
What happened following the 2020 review?
Following the review in October 2020 and the issuing of new social media guidelines for BBC staff, the corporation told its employees they must not bring the corporation “into disrepute” with their use of social media.
The directives were said to apply to “everyone working at the BBC whether they are using social media professionally or personally”, and instructed staff to refrain from criticising colleagues in public and “respect the privacy of the workplace and the confidentiality of internal announcements”.
Another rule stated: “If your work requires you to maintain your impartiality, don’t express a personal opinion on matters of public policy, politics, or ‘controversial subjects’.”
The new guidance also made specific references to the public use of emojis and “virtue signalling” including retweets and likes.
Downing Street declines to back BBC chair Richard Sharp
Downing Street declined to give its backing to under-fire BBC chair Richard Sharp, who has faced further srcrutiny amid the Gary Lineker row.
Rishi Sunak earlier declined to vouch for Mr Sharp’s character or integrity.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The prime minister said that the office for the commissioner for public appointments has announced a review of that competition process to approve the chairman of the BBC to ensure that the process was run in compliance with the rules.
“We will await the outcome of that review and we will of course provide any assistance with that process but it is for that review to look into that.”
Mr Sharp came under fire after reports he helped Boris Johnon secure a hefty loan shortly after the former prime minister recommended him for the top job at the national broadcaster.
Rishi Sunak ‘pleased’ Gary Lineker row resolved
Rishi Sunak said he was “pleased” that the dispute between Gary Lineker and the BBC had been resolved.
Asked by the BBC during a visit to San Diego, US, whether there was an issue of political bias at the corporation, the PM said: “No – it’s right that the BBC is impartial and it takes its obligations on impartiality very seriously.”
He added: “I was pleased that the issue with Gary Lineker has been resolved and we can all look forward to watching Match of the Day again – not least as Southampton managed to get a point at the weekend.
“I’ll be looking forward to catching up on those highlights when I get back. It was right that that was a matter resolved between the BBC and Gary. I’m glad that that’s happened.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg claims Gary Lineker row shows need for ditching licence fee
Former Tory cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was “not fussed” about Gary Lineker's attacks on the government’s asylum policy – but claimed it strengthened his argument for ditching the BBC licence fee model.
“The issue is that the BBC is the state broadcaster and that it’s funded by a tax on televisions. If it weren’t, then we wouldn’t need to worry about its impartiality,” he told GB News.
Mr Rees-Mogg added: “Actually, if we change the funding mechanism of the BBC, we could have a much freer media, as they do in the United States, where people are allowed to say what they think.”
Several Tory MPs have responded with fury to the broadcaster’s resolution to the furore over Mr Lineker’s comments.
Adam Forrest has more on the Conservative response:
Tory MPs furious at BBC ‘climbdown’ giving Lineker ‘carte blanche’
Conservatives condemn ‘pathetic capitulation’ – claiming it will hasten end of BBC licence fee
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