BBC faces ‘catastrophic loss of trust’ because of top stars ‘breaching rules’<\/strong>
Rishi Sunak breaks silence after winning Rwanda bill vote as rebels back down<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Critics claim the BBC\u2019s top earner – with a salary of \u00a31.35million – should be strictly bound by rules that bar stars from showing political bias. Mr Shapps added: “It\u2019s for the BBC to decide what action might be taken against Gary Lineker. He is allowed his view of course \u2013 but he shouldn\u2019t be using his status at the BBC, which is funded by taxpayers, to promote his political take.<\/p>\n
“I also fundamentally disagree with what he said. The Government is working to find solutions for illegal immigration. There is nothing moral in keeping a status quo where people are trafficked illegally and in a hugely dangerous way across the English Channel.<\/p>\n
“Maybe we could agree that I\u2019ll stop commenting on football, which I know little about, and he can stop commenting on politics, which he clearly knows almost nothing about.”<\/p>\n
Former party chairman Sir Jake Berry accused the ex-Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona star of straying into politics by branding MPs “thick”. The Rossendale and Darwen MP said on his TalkTV show: \u201cHe\u2019s a football commentator, so why are we constantly hearing about his views on politics?\u201d<\/p>\n
Former BBC director of television Danny Cohen called for Lineker to be sacked, saying he was now like a footballer with an out-of-control ego. He said: “Mr Lineker is behaving as if he is much bigger than his club – the BBC – with the insolent inference there is nothing that his manager – the director-general – can or will do to stop him.<\/p>\n
“If the BBC does nothing about it, its management looks ever weaker and ever less in control of the social media outpost of the people who represent it in the eyes of the public.”<\/p>\n
Dr Shah, the Government\u2019s preferred candidate to take over from Richard Sharp – who quit over his financial links to former prime minister Boris Johnson – was being quizzed by the Commons culture committee. He said the sports presenter\u2019s tweets attacking Mr Shapps for allegedly using pseudonyms outside his main political work and a social media clash with MP Jonathan Gullis were a problem.<\/p>\n
“The more recent tweet where Mr Lineker identified two politicians does on the face of it seem to breach those particular guidelines,” he said. “I\u2019m not sure how egregious it is but it does. I would imagine the BBC is now looking at that and considering its response.”<\/p>\n
He added that Lineker – who claims his tweets are allowed under the impartiality rules – falls in a “grey area”. Asked by Damian Green MP if he thought Lineker was giving the BBC \u201ctwo fingers\u201d, he said if he were chairman: \u201cI would be thinking if we have the balance right between freedom of expression and the duty to be impartial.\u201d<\/p>\n
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