Gary Lineker is under extreme pressure to be sacked by the BBC after he compared Suella Braverman’s new Home Office policy to Nazi Germany.
The Match of the Day host, who earns a whopping £1.35million a year from the corporation, reacted to a social media video shared by Braverman’s ahead of her announcement by saying the legislation was “immeasurably cruel” and “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ‘30s”.
A BBC source has said the presenter will face a “frank conversation” over the tweet, and that the corporation are taking the matter seriously.
The former England international said the Illegal Migration Bill was “beyond awful”, and responding to a message on social media said: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
Lineker tweeted the Home Office's plan to tackle the migrant crisis is "beyond awful"
Twitter / Gary Lineker
“This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ’30s.”
Responding to Lineker’s comments, the Home Secretary told Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster on GB News Breakfast: “I’m disappointed about Gary Lineker’s attempt to somehow equate my Bill with 1930s Germany.
“I don’t think that comparison was fair or appropriate.
“What I believe is that I’ve won the moral argument already.
Lineker said the policy is "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."
Twitter / Gary Lineker
“I believe this is what the British people want.”
Discussing the comments further, Eamonn said Lineker should stick to sport.
“I don’t look at Gary Lineker presenting football and think about his views on lots of different other things.”
Olympian Kriss Akabusi defended the BBC host, saying he was posting on a personal feed.
BBC sources say Lineker will face a "frank conversation"
PA
“He’s a private citizen who’s got an opinion and he’s speaking on his Twitter platform not speaking Match of the Day.”
Conservative Party Deputy Chairman and newly announced GB News host Lee Anderson condemned the comments, saying: “This is just another example of how out of touch these overpaid stars are with the voting public.
“Instead of lecturing, Mr Lineker should stick to reading out the football scores and flogging crisps.”
Previously, the BBC director-general Tim Davie has warned staff over their use of social media, with guidelines being updated in 2020, and the corporate say they “have appropriate internal processes in place if required.”