Gary Lineker appears to take thinly veiled swipe at 'liar' Boris in new tweet

Split of Boris Johnson and Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker wasn't afraid to voice his opinion on Boris Johnson

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Paige Creaney

By Paige Creaney


Published: 22/03/2023

- 10:12

It is not the first tweet with political themes that Lineker has sent since returning to presenting duties

Gary Lineker has delivered a thinly veiled attack on Boris Johnson in another Twitter post that could contravene the BBC’s controversial social media guidelines.

The Match of the Day host posted a tweet after the former Prime Minister admitted misleading Parliament over parties in Downing Street, but denied he had done so intentionally.


The BBC presenter wrote to his 8.9 million Twitter followers: “When folk constantly tell fibs, it’s really difficult to know when they’re telling the truth. I imagine it’s even a challenge for themselves."

It is not the first tweet with political themes that Lineker has sent since returning to presenting duties.

Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker caused controversy after comparing the Government's migration policy to Nazi Germany.

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As a freelance broadcaster, Lineker is not a permanent member of BBC staff, nor is he responsible for news or political content, so in accordance with the current guidelines he is not subject to the same rules on impartiality as permanent employees.

A BBC insider said that the broadcaster was aware of Lineker’s latest tweet but would not comment pending the outcome of its review.

They added that the individual responsible for handling the review was due to be confirmed shortly.

As part of a series of messages announcing his return, he wrote: “However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.”

Boris Johnson waving

Boris Johnson says he mislead Parliament, but not intentionally.

PA


The following day he retweeted a Channel 4 News clip in which former Prime Minister Theresa May criticised the Government’s proposed immigration bill as a “blanket dismissal” of those facing persecution.

The latest tweet is not understood to be causing the same degree of alarm as Lineker’s original message that led to his suspension.

In that tweet, he compared the government’s language around its migration policy to that used by Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

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