Following the BBC’s decision to force Gary Lineker to step down from fronting Match of the Day this weekend, NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said:
“This is a massive own goal on the part of the BBC.
“Yielding to sustained political pressure in this way is as foolish as it is dangerous.
“Who is convinced that genuine concern for impartiality is the driving force here? It doesn’t wash – not least when the BBC’s chairman failed to declare his critical role in an £800,000 loan facility to the former Prime Minister, is backed to the hilt by this government, and is still resisting calls for his resignation weeks after an excoriating government select committee report called on him to consider his position and journalists across the BBC voted overwhelmingly to demand his immediate resignation.
“As the BBC is plunged tonight into yet another crisis of its own making, it’s heartening to see solidarity in action on the part of fellow presenters – a timely warm-up of why collective action matters, ahead of the strike by NUJ members across England on Wednesday and Thursday who are fighting to preserve quality local news at our public service broadcaster.”
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I see the former monarch has transferried her estate straight to the new monarch, Charles. Seemingly it is the “most efficient way”
If the money is given “monarch to monarch,” Charles can avoid paying taxes on it.
Rangers and the Monarchy were well matched.
Tough one this, freedom of speech v employment contract/employee hand book.
Actually started writing a long piece on this, but gave up as I just don’t know the answer. But I do know this, if I actually did something to bring my employer into disrepute then I would be held responsible, so before I do anything I think to myself “could this get me in trouble “ and if I’m in any doubt, I wouldn’t do it. He clearly set out to get a reaction, and he must now deal with it.
“He clearly set out to get a reaction”
No, he expressed his disgust at a cruel and inhuman policy.
Clearly, others support this cruelty.
People forget the BBC has been covering up p*edophilia for decades.
bbc an establishment propaganda channel, not fit for purpose as far as news is concerned. Totally fit for purpose to promote and undermine as directed by their political masters.
As for being british, do they actually know there is anyone north of Watford it’s completely S E anglocentric.
As far as saving our bbc is concerned, scrap the tv license money, and turn their income into subscription based. See how that works out.
I stopped watching MotD ages ago, tonight’s pundit free was the best one for ages.
“I stopped watching MotD ages okay, tonight’s…was the best one in ages”
Satire or stupidity?
It was neither actually…. i will tell you what but, from now on i will spell out every little detail just for you…..That’s sarcasm BTW.
Keep it civil.
I was being civil.
You made a stupid statement and I enquired whether it was satire.
You didn’t confirm, so stupidity it is.
Not on stilts but certainly wearing clown shoes.
More and more support for Lineker from his colleagues at the BBC…by their withdrawal of labour.
It will be interesting to see what impact this has.
There has been a growing resentment amongst BBC journalists recently, regarding managements handling of issues…and this could tip it over the edge.
I hope they have to eat humble pie …and revisit this situation.
C’mon the workers !!
Impartiality isn’t something bbc are familiar with. Who pays or greases wheels dictate. Again dictate. 🤷🏻
There’s absolutely NOTHING either surprising or new about the actions of the BBC when it comes to criticism of Tory party policy. The older among you will remember an early evening news/current affairs program called Nationwide, which ran, If my memory serves me correctly from the late sixties til the early-mid eighties. They broadcast a program which was critical, but factually completely correct, of a Thatcher Government policy. They were off the air within a month.
I’m not a fan of Lineker but I’d flight to make sure he is free to say what he likes.
The BBC are run by a Tory donating ex banker with close links to Sunak, the unelected PM who was shoe horned into power via a transparent banker led coup.
I’d suggest that the British People have a real problem here and with a new banking crisis starting we need to be questioning just what the hell is going in.
Let’s hope the lineker debacle outs these establishment banker rats for what they are.
You are correct about the banking crisis Mr Smith. Silicon Valley Bank was just shut down recently in the USA by regulatory authorities. It wax the 16th biggest in the USA. Could there be more on the way?
The BBC doing the bidding of Tory government? That’s how puppetry works, especially if you don’t want that hand up your back to decide your future funding.
Had Lineker went with “get these asylum seekers out”, not a word would we hear from the BBC. It’s not about Lineker having an opinion, it’s about him having an opinion that the dictators don’t want to hear.
The lurch to the far right is incredibly scary.
Mon the hoops today and dispatch the minis as quickly as possible and without any decapitations too. HH
This bloated and biased organisation is not fit for purpose and needs a radical overhaul…Starting with doing away with the License fee….and making them fund themselves.
The money they pay to their “top presenters ” (including Lineker) is utterly obscene …and I am pissed at helping to fund these people’s life-styles…which are non-commensurate with their abilities.
As for the hypocrisy regarding Richard Sharp…
You couldn’t make it up.
Totally agree TN. Let these overpaid fatuous grinning leeches like Lineker, Wright, Shearer and the rest spouting their inanities go to the wall and we can fight the next deserving one. Pick your battles and this ain’t one…
“Public sector workers who go on strike should be shot in front of their family” says BBC presenter but it’s just Clarkson being witty . Fiona Bruce making excuses for Stanley Johnson’s domestic violence as “according to friends was a one off” well Fiona according to the woman on the end of the punches it was a regular occurrence and on the basis of balance both views should have been aired. When we silence David Attenborough out of fear that Conservative politicians may be angered and give a platform to Nigel Farage to spout his wicked rhetoric then Lineker is spot on with his summary. Did I mention Julian Assange ? The UK is a fascist state but the good news is it seems to be rapidly disintegrating.
The BBC is most definitely not impartial.
Under the former Director of News, James Harding, we were subjected to a near daily succession of interviews with “Lifelong Labour supporters who couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Jeremy Corbyn”. The result being a Tory landslide in the 2019 General Election.
James Harding was the former Editor of The Times and considered by some to be Rupert Murdock’s second in command. You don’t get to be that high up in News International if you’re not right wing and anti-Trade Union.
He was also a vocal supporter of the State of Israel and had to defend the BBC against criticism that the BBC News Room was “Pro-Israel”. He alo discouraged BBC journalists from indulging in Investigative journalism.
“Nothing to see here!”
Of course Lineker has a right to comment on political issues but if these are in breach of his BBC contract then his employer has the right to punish him. Also, comparing the government’s policy on illegal immigration with the Nazi culture in Germany is way over the top.
I think he is freelance so isn’t tied to a specific contract. Could explain why he has stated ‘they (the beeb) can’t sack me’.
Except that he didn’t. He compared the current immigration views to early 1930s Germany. Which could easily (and very accurately) be talking about the widespread feeling of Germany needing to be run for the Germans (mix of being a very recently unified country, the loss of WW1 and the resentment over Versalles). This was one facet of the political landscape the Nazis used to seem “mainstream” but they certainly didn’t create it.
His tweet to me reads like a warning about where acceptance of this “stop the boats” rhetoric could lead a country. This sort of thing, if the public accept it, pulls the centre ground way off to the right and all parties move accordingly.
Where were these journalists while the government genuinely was acting like 1930’s Berlin, shutting down elections, silencing dissent, removing civil liberties? Oh yes, they were cheering on these measures and asking why they weren’t more severe while shouting down and “fact checking” anyone who did ask questions.
In fairness to Linekar (I’m not a big fan) he was consistently arguing against these things and has been for years. Which again makes the sudden actions of the BBC questionable.
The accusation of being ‘impartial’ seems wrong. His messages didn’t show favour for one side over the other. He commented on a single issue. So the BBC want him to be apolitical.
Quelle surprise !! A union member seizing an oportunity to “have a go” at a Tory government – wow !
It’s quite simple really – if you work for an organisation (funded by joe public) which has a duty to be impartial in political matters then you cannot do what Lineker has done (and not for the first time).
If he feels compelled to speak out then give up the BBC job and let somebody else do it (probably at a lower cost to the feepayers).
While we’re clutching our pearls about impartiality, any views on Andrew Neil, presenter of many BBC political programmes while also being chairman of The Spectator (hardly the most impartial news commentary magazine) ?
I don’t get all this ‘de-fund the BBC’ and ‘don’t pay the license fee’… the right wings governments we’ve had have ALWAYS de-funded the BBC, and they have gained more and more de-facto control over it as time goes on. Would we say ‘de-fund the NHS’ (rediculous) or even ‘stop paying national insurance’…?
Surely the message should be ‘save the BBC’, and ‘Give us back our BBC’?
Make it the independent quality broadcaster for the people of this country that its supposed to be – what’s the alternative, media empires controlled by Murdoch-esque types? Don’t fall for it.
#GiveUsBackOurBBC
Exactly, Tony. Clarkson worked for the BBC for many years and was not famous for holding back social and political opinions while doing so.
And to clarify: he (Clarkson) was not sacked or suspended for expressing and opinion. He was sacked for physically assaulting an employee.
He may work for the beeb but he wasn’t at work when he made his comment. Or have we came to a point that you have to take the same opinion as your boss because he pays you to do so ? .In effect you can pick up your morals when you clock out. Really!!
At the end of day there will be no analysis on MOTD. All because Boris Johnson can’t use a microwave.
You need to ho and have a talk with yourself sunshine ! What a disgraceful inate comment
Chillax, Fred, he’s only ‘avin a larf.
The BBC was a viper’s nest of paeophilia for decades and they all walked free from their crimes, didn’t even get charged, apart from two old codgers in their 80s who took the patsy fall for the rest.
If you really want to get your knickers in a twist get them in a twist about that.
There’s an Australian journalist rotting away in Belmarsh prison. Everything he reported was factual. Predictably he’s not being supported by people like Alistair Campbell, Sir Keir Starmer and Ian Wright MBE. There’s no consistency either amongst journalists. Worrying.
Exactly!
Assange is Controlled Opposition.
As much as I find Lineker’s comparison of the current illegal immigration issue with 1930’s Germany, grotesque, I 100% support his right to express his views. As for the BBC being “in turmoil”, brilliant, long may it continue!!
He only compared the language used with that of 1930’s Germany.
Go on Garry sue the beeb, the beeb are supposedly impartial, although we all know that is nonsense. They show their hand in Scotia time and again, in the hiring of ex-ibrox employees that now, practically solely, regularly inhabit the punditry seats on Sportscene. Ergo I never watch it, used to, but not any more.
Any Celtic fan still paying their fees is behind the times, because they do not like us, not one wee bit.
So is this going to become the usual way of it? Speak out of turn on social media then reprimanded or sacked?
The beeb are bowing to the complainers and it sets the wrong precedent, hopefully he he retains his position or sues them, interesting.
Cheers Phil.
Murdoch has his tentacles well up the bbc via 10 downing street #DontPayTheLicenseFee
The BBC is more interested in not upsetting the government of the day than being impartial. Kudos to those who have come out in support of Gary Lineker for speaking truth to power.