LONDON: BBC television's flagship football programme was in meltdown on Saturday (Mar 11) after pundits and commentators refused to work in support of presenter Gary Lineker, who was forced to 'step back' after accusing the government of using Nazi-era rhetoric. Match of the Day presenter Lineker, England'
LONDON: BBC television's flagship football programme was in meltdown on Saturday after pundits and commentators refused to work in support of presenter Gary Lineker, who was forced to"step back" after accusing the government of using Nazi-era rhetoric.
Pundits and former England strikers Ian Wright and Alan Shearer immediately tweeted that they would not take part either, followed by the programme's commentators. Adding to the chaos, presenters and pundits also pulled out of the daytime"Football Focus" and"Final Score" programmes.The row was sparked by Lineker's response to a video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled plans to stop migrants crossing the Channel on small boats.
Stopping the boats is the"people's priority", Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons earlier this week.But rights groups and the United Nations said the legislation would make Britain an international outlaw under European and UN conventions on asylum. "The real problem today is that the BBC has undermined its own credibility by doing this," he told the broadcaster, adding it could create the impression that the"BBC has bowed to government pressure".
The Lineker row comes at a particularly heated period after it emerged that BBC chairman Richard Sharp allegedly facilitated a loan guarantee for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson while in the process of applying for the job."We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies," it added.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lineker to 'step back' from BBC presenting after migration rowLONDON :Former England soccer captain Gary Lineker will step back from his role at the BBC following his criticism of the country's migration policy that has sparked a furious row between the government and the corporation's highest paid presenter. Lineker recently likened the government's language on asylum
Read more »
Lineker pulled from BBC presenting after migration rowLONDON :Former England soccer captain Gary Lineker has been taken off air by the BBC after his comments on Britain's migration policy sparked a furious row between the government and the corporation's highest paid presenter.Lineker was told there has to be an agreed position on his use of social media before
Read more »
Reaction to Lineker being pulled from presenting by the BBCFormer England captain Gary Lineker has been taken off air by the BBC and will step back from presenting its flagship Match of the Day (MOTD) programme after a row between the government and the presenter over his comments on Britain's migration policy.He was told there has to be an agreed position on his
Read more »
Perth Mint faces London bullion body review over gold 'doping' chargesThe London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the world's top accreditor of gold refiners, said on Thursday it was reviewing allegations that Perth Mint had sold 'doped' gold to China.An Australian media report on Monday said Perth Mint, the world's largest processor of newly mined gold, may have to recal
Read more »
Apple argues UK competition watchdog had 'no power' to launch probeLONDON : Technology giant Apple on Friday told a London tribunal that Britain's competition watchdog had 'no power' to launch a probe into its mobile browsers because it did so too late.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a full investigation in November into cloud gaming and mobile browser
Read more »
Mercuria leads funding round for engine tech firm ClearFlameLONDON : U.S.-based ClearFlame Engine Technologies has raised $30 million in a funding round led by global energy trader Mercuria and with backing from new investors including miner Rio Tinto, its chief executive told Reuters. ClearFlame, whose technology allows diesel engines to run on more climate-frien
Read more »