Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
And will the impartiality agreement be reached with Richard Sharp or Tim Davie or perhaps Robbie Gibb?
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
40 years and voted Tory in every election. Not a real Tory, what the actual fuck mate
One thing HYUFD has taught me is that no one is a real Tory apparently. I don't know how they have won so many elections on that basis.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
40 years and voted Tory in every election. Not a real Tory, what the actual fuck mate
One thing HYUFD has taught me is that no one is a real Tory apparently. I don't know how they have won so many elections on that basis.
Despite being probably to the right of hyufd I am proud he doesnt class me as a real tory
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
If the BBC don't blink, there might be alot of 'pundits' looking for work. It's just a shame that all the other channels showing footie will already have pundits.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
40 years and voted Tory in every election. Not a real Tory, what the actual fuck mate
One thing HYUFD has taught me is that no one is a real Tory apparently. I don't know how they have won so many elections on that basis.
They don’t mean a thing if they ain’t got that swing.
Really dumb thing for his daddy to do, on several levels.
For all his faults, Prince Phillip was WAY more impressive than ANY of his (acknowledged) spawn.
Making Fast Eddy the new Duke of Edinburgh, make him look (even) smaller than he was yesterday.
What a load of rubbish.
Prince Edward and Sophie are the hardest working royals after the Princess Royal and the King and Queen Consort.
When the Duke of York and Sussexes stepped back as working royals they stepped up to do more of the work themselves and they are worthy recipients of the title, not least too as Prince Edward has taken over the D of E scheme from his father
Your stuff about working to get a Dukedom doesn't make sense given that York and Sussex are keeping theirs without doing any work for it.
What with all the corporations being told to send their bosses to submit to KCIII, no doubt with expensive illuminated parchments, this is looking a very oddly modernised monarchy.
The Sussexes and Yorks are not allowed to use their former HRH titles unlike the Edinburghs. In order of age the Duke of York would have become Duke of Edinburgh, instead this is an award from the King to Prince Edward to reflect his service as a working royal.
Ok I have to ask because I have been wondering...why do you believe most people give two fucks about what you are posting about the royal family. It is something of absolute indifference to most people, they really aren't that important to most
He likes to have something to cringe to? He does go on about how good the old days were whern there were lords of the manor and almost everyone else was a serf working in the fields.
Though in her own case the Wiki page carefully points out that she only got interested in politics/the Tories after leaving the BBC.
"In 2009, after having left the BBC to study at the University of Glasgow, Davidson joined the Conservative Party. She said she was inspired by a call by David Cameron, the then Leader of the Opposition, in the wake of the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal, for people to get involved in politics who had never previously been political. She was encouraged by the Scottish Conservative Party's Director of Media, Ramsay Jones,[12] to join the party and stand for the House of Commons seat of Glasgow North East at the 2009 by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP and Speaker of the House, Michael Martin."
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Britain is not a democracy....because we have representative democracy but those representatives don't represent their constituents they represent their sponsoring party. Party loyalists are the twats that enabled this.....yes that is you.
Representative democracy only works if the mp elected actually does the best for their constituents whoever they voted for yet what we have is claimed to be representative democracy even though mp's will happily vote against their constituents interest because it is the party line whether labour, tory or lib dem etc....people like you are the problem
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
There aren’t many solid Tories, then.
Probably about 25-30% of the population ie would vote Tory even in 1997 and now, similar 25-30% for Labour ie would vote Labour even in 1983 and 2019.
Another 25% Liberal Democrat, Green, RefUK and SNP/PC and NI parties and the final 25% will swing sometimes between parties at general elections
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
Guidelines read: a) Give PM 6 figure sum b) Do whatever the Tories want
And yet, almost all of the BBCs output is left leaning. If the BBC top brass is infested with Tories they are particularly ineffectual ones.
WTF is the world talking about Gary Lineker. Is there really nothing better to do?
I haven't seen the government's rhetoric on the boats issue. Gary thought it was a bit sinister. Honestly, who cares?
It's definitely been blown up way more than it should, but it hit that sweet spot of partisan outrage, football and the most talked about news event of the week. Because when you boil it down it is 'BBC enforces editorial guidelines on employee', which is not that exciting even if one feels the guidelines are stupid. Now it is all the way at 'Fascist govenment censors media!', which is probably not where they'd want to be right now.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
If the BBC don't blink, there might be alot of 'pundits' looking for work. It's just a shame that all the other channels showing footie will already have pundits.
There are many former football players who want to get a gig in the media.The BBC has made a decision on Lineker which is wrong in my view, but having made that decision it cannot be held to ransom by entitled presenters.
I'm really not. And the bromance between them was real. Some of the back rubbing was really over the top.
I would have thought you would have welcomed the new friendly relationship with not just Macron but the EU
This is the first PM in 5 years who is actively cultivating ties with the EU and cooperation on not just the boats, but Ukraine' security, green issues, and trade through Macron EPC
Macron actually referred to the WF approvingly
There is a place for synisism but on this it is a positive move in the right direction
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Surely there are other people at the BBC who air political views in their own time? Or is there a difference between core staff and those employed by outside agencies?
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
Guidelines read: a) Give PM 6 figure sum b) Do whatever the Tories want
And yet, almost all of the BBCs output is left leaning. If the BBC top brass is infested with Tories they are particularly ineffectual ones.
As mentioned below, leftwing on identity and cultural issues, rightwing on economic and social ones, and arguably the centre won't hold if they move right on both.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Britain is not a democracy....because we have representative democracy but those representatives don't represent their constituents they represent their sponsoring party. Party loyalists are the twats that enabled this.....yes that is you.
Representative democracy only works if the mp elected actually does the best for their constituents whoever they voted for yet what we have is claimed to be representative democracy even though mp's will happily vote against their constituents interest because it is the party line whether labour, tory or lib dem etc....people like you are the problem
We are a representative not direct democracy yes. If we were a direct democracy we would have renationalised railways, the death penalty for serial killers, the navy removing migrants from the Channel and higher taxes on the rich and a big payrise for nurses and a fully elected upper house replacing the House of Lords (albeit Starmer might do some of the latter and Sunak is hardening the line on migrants)
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Surely there are other people at the BBC who air political views in their own time? Or is there a difference between core staff and those employed by outside agencies?
Mr Clarkson talked about shooting public sector strikers. But on checking, that was on the BBC ...
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
If the BBC don't blink, there might be alot of 'pundits' looking for work. It's just a shame that all the other channels showing footie will already have pundits.
There are many former football players who want to get a gig in the media.The BBC has made a decision on Lineker which is wrong in my view, but having made that decision it cannot be held to ransom by entitled presenters.
I reckon they fold. Get Lineker to say to all his mates he is only gone for one episode, get some fourth rate pundits in for that one, then back to normal with everyone learning their lessons.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
Guidelines read: a) Give PM 6 figure sum b) Do whatever the Tories want
And yet, almost all of the BBCs output is left leaning. If the BBC top brass is infested with Tories they are particularly ineffectual ones.
A lazy stereotype . This peddled by the Tories and their enablers .
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
If the BBC don't blink, there might be alot of 'pundits' looking for work. It's just a shame that all the other channels showing footie will already have pundits.
There are many former football players who want to get a gig in the media.The BBC has made a decision on Lineker which is wrong in my view, but having made that decision it cannot be held to ransom by entitled presenters.
I reckon they fold. Get Lineker to say to all his mates he is only gone for one episode, get some fourth rate pundits in for that one, then back to normal with everyone learning their lessons.
Agreed. The alternative is to get Lawro back. And no-one wants that.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Other than being seriously dodgy on the arranging money front, probably not.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Britain is not a democracy....because we have representative democracy but those representatives don't represent their constituents they represent their sponsoring party. Party loyalists are the twats that enabled this.....yes that is you.
Representative democracy only works if the mp elected actually does the best for their constituents whoever they voted for yet what we have is claimed to be representative democracy even though mp's will happily vote against their constituents interest because it is the party line whether labour, tory or lib dem etc....people like you are the problem
We are a representative not direct democracy yes. If we were a direct democracy we would have renationalised railways, the death penalty for serial killers, the navy removing migrants from the Channel and higher taxes on the rich and a big payrise for nurses and a fully elected upper house replacing the House of Lords (albeit Starmer might do some of the latter and Sunak is hardening the line on migrants)
No we arent a democracy at all because all mp's of all parties do not represent the people that voted them in they represent the party. You can all fuck off frankly as you are useless twats and need to be got rid of
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
Guidelines read: a) Give PM 6 figure sum b) Do whatever the Tories want
And yet, almost all of the BBCs output is left leaning. If the BBC top brass is infested with Tories they are particularly ineffectual ones.
A lazy stereotype . This peddled by the Tories and their enablers .
Indeed. The 1980's BBC was social-democratic on issues like poverty, for instance. The current BBC is not.
It was also full of a mixture of interesting patricians and left-leaning playwrights and documentarists, whereas now its ethos is often a commercial lifestyle one, married to an emphasis on representational politics on the cultural front.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
There aren’t many solid Tories, then.
Probably about 25-30% of the population ie would vote Tory even in 1997 and now, similar 25-30% for Labour ie would vote Labour even in 1983 and 2019.
Another 25% Liberal Democrat, Green, RefUK and SNP/PC and NI parties and the final 25% will swing sometimes between parties at general elections
This is fair. The Conservative Party has won more than 30% of all votes cast at every General Election for its entire history, including 1997 (and the median age of the electorate has only crept up since then.) I'd be astonished if they were under a third of the popular vote next time round, and they'll probably do better than that because of their strength amongst the grey vote.
It's why, alongside the scale of the swing needed and the party's Scottish problem, I don't think Labour will win a majority, regardless of how crap the economy is and how desperate a large fraction of the population has become. If they leave the electoral system as it is - which they will - then there's a strong chance of Starmer only lasting a single term before normal service is resumed.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
There aren’t many solid Tories, then.
Probably about 25-30% of the population ie would vote Tory even in 1997 and now, similar 25-30% for Labour ie would vote Labour even in 1983 and 2019.
Another 25% Liberal Democrat, Green, RefUK and SNP/PC and NI parties and the final 25% will swing sometimes between parties at general elections
This is fair. The Conservative Party has won more than 30% of all votes cast at every General Election for its entire history, including 1997.
I genuinely think that might be under threat next time, though agree that is about their floor.
Suella Braverman breaks the Ministerial code and is made Home Secretary a week later.
Meanwhile Johnson's fixer is made Chairman of the BBC and Lineker is sacked for showing a compassion most of us share
I think it was less than a week actually.
The BBC Chairman was dodgy as f*ck in his claim to have thought all was above board by just mentioning something to Case, and not disclosing it to the commitee. People who genuinely believe that whilst facilitating massive personal loans to powerful figures are dangerously stupid, and I just don't buy he could be that stupid, making it just dodgy.
I don't if anyone heard Sharp on radio 4 when this stuff about him advising his friend on giving Johnson a loan came out - maybe it was world at one - but it was terrible. His defence was that as they were all friends and he was working in no 10 at the time it was all perfectly natural that they should scratch each others' backs and of course natural that he should be made BBC chairman. Sickeningly chummy. Should be sacked at first possible opportunity.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Surely there are other people at the BBC who air political views in their own time? Or is there a difference between core staff and those employed by outside agencies?
He said a key issue was how prominent the person is on the BBC - ie how highly the public associate the person with the BBC.
And the answer is that Lineker is associated very, very, very highly with the BBC.
Is Gary Lineker a BBC contractor or employee? Ashing for HMRC.
A contractor. As mandated by the BBC itself.
I bet no other 'contractors' have fallen foul of HMRC despite those contracting them claiming they are contractors. Not buying it until HMRC make a determination.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Other than being seriously dodgy on the arranging money front, probably not.
How does that allegation relate to BBC guidelines ?
Suella Braverman breaks the Ministerial code and is made Home Secretary a week later.
Meanwhile Johnson's fixer is made Chairman of the BBC and Lineker is sacked for showing a compassion most of us share
I think it was less than a week actually.
The BBC Chairman was dodgy as f*ck in his claim to have thought all was above board by just mentioning something to Case, and not disclosing it to the commitee. People who genuinely believe that whilst facilitating massive personal loans to powerful figures are dangerously stupid, and I just don't buy he could be that stupid, making it just dodgy.
I don't if anyone heard Sharp on radio 4 when this stuff about him advising his friend on giving Johnson a loan came out - maybe it was world at one - but it was terrible. His defence was that as they were all friends and he was working in no 10 at the time it was all perfectly natural that they should scratch each others' backs and of course natural that he should be made BBC chairman. Sickeningly chummy. Should be sacked at first possible opportunity.
I mean, how could you not do such a thing? Next thing you'll tell me a gentleman's handshake is not sufficient to gain a lucrative contract thesedays.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Other than being seriously dodgy on the arranging money front, probably not.
How does that allegation relate to BBC guidelines ?
Probably doesn't, that's why I said probably not - he's unacceptable for reasons other than the guidelines about statements, by virtue of being borderline corrupt instead.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Surely there are other people at the BBC who air political views in their own time? Or is there a difference between core staff and those employed by outside agencies?
No just if their views are pro Tory and anti Socialist or not in which case its fine
See Alan Sugar Tweets re GE 2019 or Mick Lynch for example
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Yes, I am sure MOTD figures will crash because most of its viewers always tuned in to hear Gary Lineker's views on the Sunak government, they couldn't care less about the football highlights it showed!
You’re missing the point. The party you support - the one I’ve abandoned - has chosen to try and govern with shite unworkable policies, underlined by the culture war, because it has nothing left to give the public. Cutting HS2, raising taxes, underpaying key workers, increased levels of immigration despite promising the opposite. There’s nothing left - so why not stir the “Lineker” BBC pot
Doesn't matter mate. HYUFD doesn't care about traditional supporters like you. He didn't give a toss when I told him my Dad - Tory voter of 40+ years - will now be voting Lib Dem.
Anyway who isn't voting Conservative next time isn't a solid Tory, at most a Tory leaning swing voter even if they had voted Conservative in 2019.
Same as anyone who didn't vote Labour in 2019 wasn't a solid Labour supporter either, even if they had voted Labour in 2017 they were just a Labour leaning swing voter.
You do make extraordinary silly statements
Your 'solid Tory' is a core and if with your views a minority when it is far more than a core that is needed to win an election
Yes and we have won 4 general elections in a row, in a democracy every party eventually runs out of steam and loses government at some point.
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Britain is not a democracy....because we have representative democracy but those representatives don't represent their constituents they represent their sponsoring party. Party loyalists are the twats that enabled this.....yes that is you.
Representative democracy only works if the mp elected actually does the best for their constituents whoever they voted for yet what we have is claimed to be representative democracy even though mp's will happily vote against their constituents interest because it is the party line whether labour, tory or lib dem etc....people like you are the problem
We are a representative not direct democracy yes. If we were a direct democracy we would have renationalised railways, the death penalty for serial killers, the navy removing migrants from the Channel and higher taxes on the rich and a big payrise for nurses and a fully elected upper house replacing the House of Lords (albeit Starmer might do some of the latter and Sunak is hardening the line on migrants)
No we arent a democracy at all because all mp's of all parties do not represent the people that voted them in they represent the party. You can all fuck off frankly as you are useless twats and need to be got rid of
You can stand for and vote for Independents if you wish but even Independents will tend to be left of centre or right of centre to some degree
Of course it's not long since the Qatar World Cup when the broadcasters, and particularly the BBC, were keen to point out just how important it was to raise awareness of political issues, of human rights issues, of equality issues etc.
That's the sort of territory you get into when you start making your sports programmes about stuff beyond the sport, so there's an element of sauce for the goose here I feel.
As has been suggested, the polls may look all over the place currently but it's worth taking the fieldwork dates into account.
The Savanta poll which some Conservatives have seized with the enthusiasm of a drowning man for a lifebelt, is the better part of a week old. Does that make it "wrong"? I'd argue it shows the highpoint of the "small boats bounce" and not so much subsequent events.
The Greens got a very good number out of People Polling which may just explain the slippage in the Labour number though the combined Labour, LD and Green number sits at the fairly normal 60%.
Techne and Omnisis usually poll later in the week. Techne looks very little changed from last week - a 15% swing from the last election. Omnisis did its fieldwork yesterday and today and has reported a 24 point Labour lead with Labour five and the LDs down four but the Lab/LD/Green combined share unchanged at 62%.
As has been suggested, the polls may look all over the place currently but it's worth taking the fieldwork dates into account.
The Savanta poll which some Conservatives have seized with the enthusiasm of a drowning man for a lifebelt, is the better part of a week old. Does that make it "wrong"? I'd argue it shows the highpoint of the "small boats bounce" and not so much subsequent events.
The Greens got a very good number out of People Polling which may just explain the slippage in the Labour number though the combined Labour, LD and Green number sits at the fairly normal 60%.
Techne and Omnisis usually poll later in the week. Techne looks very little changed from last week - a 15% swing from the last election. Omnisis did its fieldwork yesterday and today and has reported a 24 point Labour lead with Labour five and the LDs down four but the Lab/LD/Green combined share unchanged at 62%.
Of course it's not long since the Qatar World Cup when the broadcasters, and particularly the BBC, were keen to point out just how important it was to raise awareness of political issues, of human rights issues, of equality issues etc.
That's the sort of territory you get into when you start making your sports programmes about stuff beyond the sport, so there's an element of sauce for the goose here I feel.
Nice to see a domestic issue that Alastair Campbell, Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan all agree on.
Shameful stuff from the silent 'Free Speech Union'
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Other than being seriously dodgy on the arranging money front, probably not.
How does that allegation relate to BBC guidelines ?
Probably doesn't, that's why I said probably not - he's unacceptable for reasons other than the guidelines about statements, by virtue of being borderline corrupt instead.
The appointment of senior BBC staff which is in the gift of politicians should be taken out of the political arena.
When a new labour supporter like Greg Dyke got a senior role under new labour you can understand that as he’s a TV man. How they hell did John Birt get a gig there ?
Whilst BBC management must be hating all this the BBC news team must be having a good time - nothing they love more than reporting about the BBC, on the BBC.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
During the New Labour years they were new labour people. Now they are Tory,people.
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Other than being seriously dodgy on the arranging money front, probably not.
How does that allegation relate to BBC guidelines ?
Probably doesn't, that's why I said probably not - he's unacceptable for reasons other than the guidelines about statements, by virtue of being borderline corrupt instead.
The appointment of senior BBC staff which is in the gift of politicians should be taken out of the political arena.
When a new labour supporter like Greg Dyke got a senior role under new labour you can understand that as he’s a TV man. How they hell did John Birt get a gig there ?
Appointed by Tory placeman Michael Checkland, who was in turn responsible for the exodus of people like Dennis Potter to Channel 4.
Checkland had, in turn, originally himself been appointed to counter the influence of Alasdair Milne, who the Tories thought was too lefty. Just a long catalogue, and history, of political appointments..
Linekar steps down from motd. Where's my tiny violin when I need it?
Tories descend to Nazi-style censorship.
Yes, it sort of proves his point.
I don't care one way or another but the double standards of the right wing press defending the right of free speech for Farage and Yaxley-Lennon, and cheering the fall of Lineker is a joyous irony.
When Alan Sugar takes to Twitter to slag off Mick Lynch, that’s fine.
But when Gary Lineker tweets critically of government policy, that’s a breach of impartiality.
One criticises our democratically elected government. The other… doesn’t.
Good grief! Is criticising the democratically elected government verboten now?
What sort of a country have we become? What happened to free-speech?
Perhaps explain's Leon's fondness for Ron DeSantis? Libertarian turned Oligarch, modeling his politik on Viktor Orban.
The BBC is a state broadcaster. You don’t have that in America (perhaps wisely, who knows). I believe the BBC as we know it is doomed. Sadly. But if it is to survive it needs to be rigorously impartial in party politics. All employees (freelancers or otherwise) who provably gain the majority of their income from the BBC should be told, on pain of sacking, no political opinions on social media
And this should apply to left and right. To Sugar and Lineker. Just STFU as long as you work for the beeb
The license fee needs to go, and ASAP.
As for the BBC it’s survival should depend on its ability to raise revenue without a license fee.
The BBC's brand name would give it huge power to go to markets to raise cash. I think a subscription based model and member ownership, along the lines of the National Trust, is the way forward if it is to have a long-term future.
Britbox subs suggest its not nearly as popular a brand name as you think
BBC is VERY popular brand in the USA.
Indeed, it is mainstay for PBS tv programming, with strong appeal to viewers with higher levels of income and education.
Yes PBS which is public broadcasting.....ask them to pay for it though and it judging by the uptake does not seem nearly so popular....anything can be reasonably popular if free but that says nothing about its actual fungibility
PBS relies mainly on DONATIONS, not government funding (which accounts for 15% or thereabouts) so many Americans ARE paying directly & personally for BBC programming.
And NOT just Americans. For example, Seattle's PBS affiliate gets a LOT of support from Canadians in Vancouver, Victoria and elsewhere in BC, who watch via cable or broadcast or web, and who are big fans in particular of BBC programs on PBS.
EDIT - of course this has zero to do with Pagan's point, which is focused on BBC in UK.
You can watch PBS in the UK on Freeview channel 84, Freesat 155, SKY 174 among others.
Genuinely agree with everything Lineker said in his Tweet. Spoke the truth.
Nah. What Lineker said was twatish and stupid - as usual for him. More importantly it undermines the serious and overwhelming arguments against what Braverman and Sunak are trying to do. There are far better ways to oppose them than stooping to Godwin's Law.
But Lineker has an absolute right to be twatish and stupid. He is not interviewing politicians, not presenting editorials for the Today programme and not making any attempt to say he reflects the views of the current affairs teams at the BBC. He is stating a personal opinion and using his celebrity status as a means of advancing causes he believes in. I may disagree with him on many things but personally I say good luck to him.
The BBC is completely wrong both morally and tactically to suspend/sack him.
As has been suggested, the polls may look all over the place currently but it's worth taking the fieldwork dates into account.
The Savanta poll which some Conservatives have seized with the enthusiasm of a drowning man for a lifebelt, is the better part of a week old. Does that make it "wrong"? I'd argue it shows the highpoint of the "small boats bounce" and not so much subsequent events.
The Greens got a very good number out of People Polling which may just explain the slippage in the Labour number though the combined Labour, LD and Green number sits at the fairly normal 60%.
Techne and Omnisis usually poll later in the week. Techne looks very little changed from last week - a 15% swing from the last election. Omnisis did its fieldwork yesterday and today and has reported a 24 point Labour lead with Labour five and the LDs down four but the Lab/LD/Green combined share unchanged at 62%.
Striking thing is how stable the polls have been the last few months, since Hunt's November budget, really.
Little wobbles up and down, but the Wikiworm hasn't really moved from C26 L47 all that time.
686 days until the next election (max) and falling.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Then the guidelines are stupid.
He presents football, why do his political views even matter?
Because pissing off half your audience is a really stupid idea.
I’ll be boycotting MOTD and hope the viewing figures crash . It’s pretty clear now that those in charge of the BBC are nothing but Tory lapdogs .
Labour and the Tories often moaned about the BBC in the past which showed it was doing its job and holding those in power to account .
We are living in dark times where liberal democracies have never been under more attack from the right wingers who think they have a divine right to rule and will dismantle the democratic foundations we treasure .
People will say it can’t happen in the UK but we are seeing a slow erosion of our democracy .
The Tories are a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be removed in 2024 before it’s too late .
Shearer joins Wright in boycotting in Solidarity
Wonder which Scab will stand in.
Douglas Ross knows something about football I believe?
If the BBC don't blink, there might be alot of 'pundits' looking for work. It's just a shame that all the other channels showing footie will already have pundits.
There are many former football players who want to get a gig in the media.The BBC has made a decision on Lineker which is wrong in my view, but having made that decision it cannot be held to ransom by entitled presenters.
I won't be watching Scab of the Day on Saturday.
Not least because my team is total shite at the moment, and will save Potters bacon for another week. I don't think it is likely that I will want to watch it twice.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
What are the guidelines for the Chairman of the BBC in terms of impartiality?
Guidelines read: a) Give PM 6 figure sum b) Do whatever the Tories want
And yet, almost all of the BBCs output is left leaning. If the BBC top brass is infested with Tories they are particularly ineffectual ones.
Almost all the BBC's output has no lean, left, right, up or down.
Their soccer coverage - why not start there? - doesn't contain any political message, as far as I'm aware.
And their most viewed programs from 2022 - Peaky Blinders, The Tourist, The World Cup, SAS Rogue Heroes and The Responder - don't seem to be particularly left leaning.
Now, you might make the case that their natural history programmes have an environmental bias, and that many of their presenters of political programmes have left liberal leanings. (Albeit Andrew Neil and Roy Liddle seem to have been the other way inclined.)
I'm reminded of the famous journalism study by Reuters in Israel/Palestine. They pulled together a news report on a violence in Gaza. Israeli students overwhelmingly saw the piece as pro-Palestinian, and gave dozens of reasons why. Palestinian students overwhelmingly saw it is as pro-Israel, with equal numbers of reasons.
Because it turns out we don't really want impartiality. We want to watch current affairs that reinforces our existing prejudices.
Whilst BBC management must be hating all this the BBC news team must be having a good time - nothing they love more than reporting about the BBC, on the BBC.
Senior former BBC and OFCOM Board member just interviewed on Radio 5 Live.
Said BBC had no choice - Lineker in clear breach of editorial guidelines which anyone can read (publicly available online) and yes guidelines do apply to Lineker even though not in News and a freelance (people in News have to follow even stricter guidelines).
Said BBC has had to speak to Lineker many times in the past and he carries on doing it and this time left with no option but to suspend him until agreement reached.
Then the guidelines are stupid.
He presents football, why do his political views even matter?
The BBC face of Saturday night, Sir Jimmy Savile used to attend events with Mrs Thatcher, no political bias to see there then.
I notice that the screenshots say "Al Jazeera is funded in whole or in part by thr Qatari government." Is this placed there by them, as an acknowledgement of "thanks to our sponsor" or a truth-in-advertising measure, and if so why don't they know if it's in whole or in part? Or is it some sort of warning that they have to show when broadcasting in the UK?
I commented last evening Lineker's initial tweet was intemperate but that's now being matched by the response.
Are we to believe Lineker is such an influential figure his every utterance is of cosmic import? I don't think so either.
After nearly 14 years in Government, you have to expect a little criticism and negative comment - the notion of popular acclaim and rose petals strewn where'er a Minister strides is fanciful in extremis.
The other side is the extent to which Lineker, as a BBC employee, is bound by the charter of the Corporation. Does a individual, posting from their own Twitter account, speak for the organisation for whom they work?
That leads to the question of whether the BBC should be neutral or impartial and there's a big difference between the two. Neutrality is more about saying nothing - impartiality is showing both sides of an argument and allowing the viewer/listener to make up their own mind.
I don't want to be told what to think by any news organisation - indeed, as soon as a news outlet says they are "fair and balanced" I assume the very opposite is the case. I'm happy to hear the arguments from both sides and indeed all sides - the role of the investigator is to ask the difficult questions, probe the weaknesses and uncover the fallacies in the argument. That's what I want the BBC to do (because Sky, GB News and Talk TV won't).
Asking questions about the legislation, asking questions about the £500 million we are handing over to France to help them stop the boats - that's how democracy works and that's how political decisions should be questioned.
Lineker is irrelevant to this - he's a football pundit. A more self-confident Government would ignore his views - a more self-confident BBC would ignore the calls of Government supporters and treat it as an internal matter. The fact both have seen fit to respond as they have speaks volumes.
Really dumb thing for his daddy to do, on several levels.
For all his faults, Prince Phillip was WAY more impressive than ANY of his (acknowledged) spawn.
Making Fast Eddy the new Duke of Edinburgh, make him look (even) smaller than he was yesterday.
What a load of rubbish.
Prince Edward and Sophie are the hardest working royals after the Princess Royal and the King and Queen Consort.
When the Duke of York and Sussexes stepped back as working royals they stepped up to do more of the work themselves and they are worthy recipients of the title, not least too as Prince Edward has taken over the D of E scheme from his father
Your stuff about working to get a Dukedom doesn't make sense given that York and Sussex are keeping theirs without doing any work for it.
What with all the corporations being told to send their bosses to submit to KCIII, no doubt with expensive illuminated parchments, this is looking a very oddly modernised monarchy.
The Sussexes and Yorks are not allowed to use their former HRH titles unlike the Edinburghs. In order of age the Duke of York would have become Duke of Edinburgh, instead this is an award from the King to Prince Edward to reflect his service as a working royal.
Ok I have to ask because I have been wondering...why do you believe most people give two fucks about what you are posting about the royal family. It is something of absolute indifference to most people, they really aren't that important to most
He likes to have something to cringe to? He does go on about how good the old days were whern there were lords of the manor and almost everyone else was a serf working in the fields.
It’s a nice thing to do. Philip and the late Queen wanted it to go to Edward.
Real world significance: approximately zero*
(* I’m assuming there will be some orders for new stationary etc. so there is at least some real world impact)
Suella Braverman breaks the Ministerial code and is made Home Secretary a week later.
Meanwhile Johnson's fixer is made Chairman of the BBC and Lineker is sacked for showing a compassion most of us share
This government can fuck off.
I can't believe that we're not on the streets with pitchforks making it happen
Lineker has not been sacked, rogerdamus.
Under new labour they had their own fixers running the Beeb. Get annoyed at the system not the side you don’t agree with.
If you seriously think people should be in the streets with pitchforks over the BBC governship and Lineker you’re deluded.
It was never quite like this during New Labour. Lineker's likely dismissal in itself is neither here nor there, but under the surface we have a Putineque Party ownership of our national broadcaster.
Ŵould you say the same about Clarksons dismissal from his TV gigs for a newspaper column ?
Lineker will not be dismissed. I have no doubt about it.
No I wouldn't ask for anyone to be cancelled, but Clarkson wasn't dismissed for his political views at the BBC he smacked an assistant producer for not getting him his dinner.
Lewis Goodall was suggesting Sky have hinted Lineker's absense isn't just for Saturday it's forever
Comments
The problem is not the fact they are Tories the problem is it’s a political appointment.
Has the chairman breached the guidelines like Lineker has, frequently ?
Give me John of Bohemia any day. Not as old, certainly, but in the thick of fighting whilst blind (on reflection perhaps not a great idea).
However the true, ideological party loyalists will still vote for it even when it loses power and is in opposition
Edit: It shows what a good broadcaster Des was in his day given he retired from MotD nearly 25 years ago and people still remember him.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jul/25/ofcom-finds-bbc-guilty-of-impartiality-breaches-over-ruth-davidson-interview
Though in her own case the Wiki page carefully points out that she only got interested in politics/the Tories after leaving the BBC.
"In 2009, after having left the BBC to study at the University of Glasgow, Davidson joined the Conservative Party. She said she was inspired by a call by David Cameron, the then Leader of the Opposition, in the wake of the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal, for people to get involved in politics who had never previously been political. She was encouraged by the Scottish Conservative Party's Director of Media, Ramsay Jones,[12] to join the party and stand for the House of Commons seat of Glasgow North East at the 2009 by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP and Speaker of the House, Michael Martin."
Representative democracy only works if the mp elected actually does the best for their constituents whoever they voted for yet what we have is claimed to be representative democracy even though mp's will happily vote against their constituents interest because it is the party line whether labour, tory or lib dem etc....people like you are the problem
Another 25% Liberal Democrat, Green, RefUK and SNP/PC and NI parties and the final 25% will swing sometimes between parties at general elections
This is the first PM in 5 years who is actively cultivating ties with the EU and cooperation on not just the boats, but Ukraine' security, green issues, and trade through Macron EPC
Macron actually referred to the WF approvingly
There is a place for synisism but on this it is a positive move in the right direction
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jeremy-clarkson-striking-public-sector-279839
https://www.newsweek.com/justin-trudeau-and-emmanuel-macron-reunite-paris-and-are-closest-friends-888885
I decided to look futher afield.. and it turns out that there's something massively important happening.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/10/iran-and-saudi-agree-to-restore-relations
It was also full of a mixture of interesting patricians and left-leaning playwrights and documentarists, whereas now its ethos is often a commercial lifestyle one, married to an emphasis on representational politics on the cultural front.
It's why, alongside the scale of the swing needed and the party's Scottish problem, I don't think Labour will win a majority, regardless of how crap the economy is and how desperate a large fraction of the population has become. If they leave the electoral system as it is - which they will - then there's a strong chance of Starmer only lasting a single term before normal service is resumed.
And the answer is that Lineker is associated very, very, very highly with the BBC.
Ouch
https://twitter.com/grdecter/status/1634267470662979592?s=61&t=s0ae0IFncdLS1Dc7J0P_TQ
See Alan Sugar Tweets re GE 2019 or Mick Lynch for example
That's the sort of territory you get into when you start making your sports programmes about stuff beyond the sport, so there's an element of sauce for the goose here I feel.
I know you don’t live down here anymore but it has been covered widely on the local news.
Both Beeb and ITV.
Something does not right right about this and the official story about it.
In the fullness of time I think ‘disaster’ will be the accepted term with this. I’d trust the locals over the govt story any time.
As has been suggested, the polls may look all over the place currently but it's worth taking the fieldwork dates into account.
The Savanta poll which some Conservatives have seized with the enthusiasm of a drowning man for a lifebelt, is the better part of a week old. Does that make it "wrong"? I'd argue it shows the highpoint of the "small boats bounce" and not so much subsequent events.
The Greens got a very good number out of People Polling which may just explain the slippage in the Labour number though the combined Labour, LD and Green number sits at the fairly normal 60%.
Techne and Omnisis usually poll later in the week. Techne looks very little changed from last week - a 15% swing from the last election. Omnisis did its fieldwork yesterday and today and has reported a 24 point Labour lead with Labour five and the LDs down four but the Lab/LD/Green combined share unchanged at 62%.
Also, the bloody awful weather is rather more pressing. Between the rapid thaw and plunging temperatures, I'm somewhat worried about ice tomorrow.
Lab lead by 11,17,19,24 average 17.75
CHB "24 is almost 30" which he predicted was incoming
24, 19, 17 are close to 20 and 11 is close to 10
Shameful stuff from the silent 'Free Speech Union'
https://twitter.com/cokes136/status/1634272226827554826
When a new labour supporter like Greg Dyke got a senior role under new labour you can understand that as he’s a TV man. How they hell did John Birt get a gig there ?
Checkland had, in turn, originally himself been appointed to counter the influence of Alasdair Milne, who the Tories thought was too lefty. Just a long catalogue, and history, of political appointments..
But Lineker has an absolute right to be twatish and stupid. He is not interviewing politicians, not presenting editorials for the Today programme and not making any attempt to say he reflects the views of the current affairs teams at the BBC. He is stating a personal opinion and using his celebrity status as a means of advancing causes he believes in. I may disagree with him on many things but personally I say good luck to him.
The BBC is completely wrong both morally and tactically to suspend/sack him.
Little wobbles up and down, but the Wikiworm hasn't really moved from C26 L47 all that time.
686 days until the next election (max) and falling.
This thread has been taken off air
Not least because my team is total shite at the moment, and will save Potters bacon for another week. I don't think it is likely that I will want to watch it twice.
Their soccer coverage - why not start there? - doesn't contain any political message, as far as I'm aware.
And their most viewed programs from 2022 - Peaky Blinders, The Tourist, The World Cup, SAS Rogue Heroes and The Responder - don't seem to be particularly left leaning.
Now, you might make the case that their natural history programmes have an environmental bias, and that many of their presenters of political programmes have left liberal leanings. (Albeit Andrew Neil and Roy Liddle seem to have been the other way inclined.)
I'm reminded of the famous journalism study by Reuters in Israel/Palestine. They pulled together a news report on a violence in Gaza. Israeli students overwhelmingly saw the piece as pro-Palestinian, and gave dozens of reasons why. Palestinian students overwhelmingly saw it is as pro-Israel, with equal numbers of reasons.
Because it turns out we don't really want impartiality. We want to watch current affairs that reinforces our existing prejudices.
It is the weirdest of weird organisations.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2487217/Jimmy-Savile-harassed-music-boss-wife-Chequers-dinner-party-hosted-Tony-Blair.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/11nv7z7/us_states_that_have_chicken_shops_in_the_uk_named/
Are we to believe Lineker is such an influential figure his every utterance is of cosmic import? I don't think so either.
After nearly 14 years in Government, you have to expect a little criticism and negative comment - the notion of popular acclaim and rose petals strewn where'er a Minister strides is fanciful in extremis.
The other side is the extent to which Lineker, as a BBC employee, is bound by the charter of the Corporation. Does a individual, posting from their own Twitter account, speak for the organisation for whom they work?
That leads to the question of whether the BBC should be neutral or impartial and there's a big difference between the two. Neutrality is more about saying nothing - impartiality is showing both sides of an argument and allowing the viewer/listener to make up their own mind.
I don't want to be told what to think by any news organisation - indeed, as soon as a news outlet says they are "fair and balanced" I assume the very opposite is the case. I'm happy to hear the arguments from both sides and indeed all sides - the role of the investigator is to ask the difficult questions, probe the weaknesses and uncover the fallacies in the argument. That's what I want the BBC to do (because Sky, GB News and Talk TV won't).
Asking questions about the legislation, asking questions about the £500 million we are handing over to France to help them stop the boats - that's how democracy works and that's how political decisions should be questioned.
Lineker is irrelevant to this - he's a football pundit. A more self-confident Government would ignore his views - a more self-confident BBC would ignore the calls of Government supporters and treat it as an internal matter. The fact both have seen fit to respond as they have speaks volumes.
Real world significance: approximately zero*
(* I’m assuming there will be some orders for new stationary etc. so there is at least some real world impact)
Lewis Goodall was suggesting Sky have hinted Lineker's absense isn't just for Saturday it's forever