6.3.23

There will be national demonstrations with tens of thousands standing up to racism in every capital city of the UK next Saturday. These shouldn’t be about a sports celebrity, and they will be about caring for refugees fleeing persecution and horror. But, for the sake of democracy and common decency we should also be offering support to Gary Lineker, the freelance sports presenter forced to “step-back” from hosting BBC’s weekly Match of the Day “until agreement is reached on his social media use”. 

This is not about Lineker the man, but about what he said and the reaction against it. It is all about racism and compassion. His was not “hate speech” but more “Love Speech”, showing care for fellow human beings and political democracy. 

Last week, Lineker compared the language used by the Home Secretary in announcing the Illegal Migration Bill to language used by the Government in 1930’s Germany. For the record, he posted on Twitter that the Bill was “…an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in a language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ‘30’s”, referencing a period of history when all democratic procedures and rights were ended, masses persecuted, incarcerated and ultimately murdered. People quickly stated he was equating Sunak’s policies to those of the fascist Nazi party, but that’s not what he said.

Somewhat ironically in response, a minority of far-right Tory MPs demanded an apology from Lineker and a full investigation. 

The BBC now says he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies. Through this they are censoring any statements that can be deemed critical of the current right wing government or in any way critical of ministers. Most sports commentators have jumped to his support and effectively gone on strike against the BBCs dictator, and hundreds of thousands signed a petition for Lineker’s reinstatement in just hours following the announcement. 

We are protesting that, in this divide-and-rule era of “culture wars” promoted by a beleaguered and floundering government, only supporters of nationalism, privatisation, super-profits for the super-rich (and austerity for the rest of us) will be allowed to comment. 

To criticise an openly racist policy, dehumanising asylum seekers as if a human being can be deemed “illegal”, is apparently no longer allowed. But do carry-on whipping-up scapegoating, white-supremacy and extreme nationalism..sorry, I mean “patriotism” to quote Braverman, quoting Trump.

Its one law for those in power, another for the rest of us. There are many examples. Andrew Neil, one of the most high-profile political journalists and interviewers on the BBC for many years, is the Chairman of the right-wing magazine, the Spectator, allowed to freely express political opinions on Twitter as much as he wants.  The Chairman of the BBC, Richard Sharp, who donated £400,000 to the Conservative Party and helped arranged an £800,000 loan for the leader of the Tory Party, Boris Johnson. Sir Robbie Gibb, who was the Communications Director for the former Tory leader, Teresa May, is on the BBC Board. 

Sir Alan Sugar is allowed to speak politically through social media without challenge, including famously publishing a photoshopped picture of Jeremy Corbyn wearing a Nazi uniform sitting in a car alongside Adolf Hitler. That was shared millions of times on national media websites, without a murmur from the BBC Board. Jeremy Clarkson has a column in The Sun and the Sunday Times, for decades on the BBC and frequently expresses opinions which many recognise as extremely right wing and offensive. 

The decision to suspend Lineker was announced by the Director General of the BBC, Tim Davy, who used to be the Deputy Chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Party, standing as a Tory candidate in local elections voicing a political manifesto. It makes perfect sense to assume that, had Lineker tweeted in support of the “Illegal Migration Bill”, the BBC would have said not a word. 

Gary Lineker makes one comment about a policy that has been condemned by the United Nations and many human rights groups, and is suspended, having previously been allowed, if not actively encouraged, to state on air a number of times during the World Cup criticisms of human rights abuses by Qatar. Why is he encouraged to criticise the political policies of Arab countries but not allowed to criticise the human rights record of the country he lives in? 

The current BBC leadership’s remit is not only to support the Tory Government as its mouthpiece, but to actually dismember and sell-off the BBC by the time of its’ Charter renewal in 2027, when according to Government plans the BBC will become a subscription-only media platform. The Tory managers at the BBC have caved-in to the baying mob of the far-Right in this country. 

The BBC was never a neutral platform. It has long recited the narratives of power, and failed to distinguish between balance and impartiality. Through the decades there have been non-stop campaigns for democratic ownership and control of our news, free from corporate interference and control from the big media bosses. But under Sharp and Davie – Tory donor and former Tory candidate respectively – the pretence of objectivity has gone. We need a properly independent broadcaster, not a State-controlled Establishment propaganda machine. 

Tony Staunton, President, Plymouth Trades Union Council