General British politics discussion thread

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342421#Comment_120342421

Impartiality guidelines? Hes a fvcking sports journalist,

There's no need to be foul mouthed with with me, that's what the BBC have said.

I think there is also an issue with exactly what he said. I mean was it a politician opinion at all or just an insult.

Ahwell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342222#Comment_120342222

Typical hotmail.com post, project own opinion on "a lot" of other people and present it as a fact. Meanwhile...

The Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE) said it was “is horrified by comments made in Parliament yesterday by the Home Secretary.

“It is disgraceful to see a government minister repeating the language of the far-right, and referring to people fleeing conflict and torture, including child refugees, as an “invasion”.

“To many British Jews, such appalling language is sadly familiar. In 1938, the Daily Mail condemned “the way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring into this country.”

ebbsy

Richard Keyes and Andy Grey for MOTD anyone ????

Seth Brundle

The BBC never showed any concern about impartiality when it comes to Alan Sugar's many many political comments on Twitter...

On a different theme but again the BBC showing concern for Tory connections, Fiona Bruce strangely seems to think domestic abuse can be ok...

https://twitter.com/deirdreheenan/status/1633960525464756225?t=Dsx13NF8Ryz6uIZKJWEW-A&s=19

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342637#Comment_120342637

Always a bit different it you bring in Nazi Germany into the equation. Lineker presents a programme about grown men kicking a football.

Why isn't he able to withdraw the remark?

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342667#Comment_120342667

Always a bit different it you bring in Nazi Germany into the equation.

What exactly was incorrect in what he said?

The language used by SB and the PM along with other key Tories has been inflammatory. It is designed to whip up a hatred against immigrants and truth be told, is very light on actual facts.

Is this man wrong?

https://twitter.com/EddieBurfi/status/1633931450410991619?t=Kxct2_sugjHC4SZyajMJlQ&s=19

Lineker presents a programme about grown men kicking a football.

So why did the BBC then throw a strop over one of his tweets?

Why isn't he able to withdraw the remark?

Why should he? There was nothing in it that was inaccurate unless you'd like to prove me wrong!

Podge_irl

Linekar is not bound by the impartiality guidelines as he is technically a contractor. Hence the fuzzy language over the whole affair.

Mind you, Andrew Neil should have been bound by them yet...

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342701#Comment_120342701

Well I think he could have made his point just as strongly without the German reference.

Lemming

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342222#Comment_120342222

Only a few months ago a Holocaust survivor publically deplored the language being used against refugees by Suella Braverman (who then doubled down by saying she wouldn't apologise for using such language). So his tweet was not as over the top as you claim. "If the boot fits" and all that ....

Gerry T

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342361#Comment_120342361

That would make sense if he were working, he wasn't. His area is sport which disconnects him further. If he made some incorrect radical statement maybe the BBC would have a point, but in this case everything he said is factual.

[edit] should have read the other replies first 😂

Strazdas

Lineker never compared the Tories (and their numerous right wing media pals) to the Nazis or tried to imply they were planning concentration camps etc. He merely said their language and 'othering' of minorities was similar to that used in Germany in the 1930s.

He has probably done his country a huge service as it has forced into the open a debate on whether the current government and their many media backers are out and out racists. Said individuals certainly want a divisive culture war, but one where they come into the spotlight is not quite what they were planning.

Some amount of "what about freeze peach?" heads expressing glee on social media.

As they're so fond of saying, you either support free speech or you don't.

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342893#Comment_120342893

It's perfectly valid then for a Holocaust survivor to say such a thing. Lineker is working for the BBC and isn't a Holocaust survivor.

Always dodgy to bring in the Nazis into a debate.

ebbsy

Its a game of 2 halves

Play the ball down the channels

Stick it into the mixer

I do understand people being irked when nazism and fascism are invoked, as it can be done for such preposterous, obnoxious reasons - in poor taste (by both the right and the left). But Lineker just compared language with language. He didn't make absurd, offensive comparisons like e.g. lockdown with actual nazi occupation.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120343220#Comment_120343220

He didn't invoke the holocaust though, he talked about language. Under your bizarre selective rules only holocaust survivors are allowed make any comparisons as regards Hitler or the nazis now?

Thankfully even if that were true here's one doing exactly what Linekar did

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/14/suella-braverman-wont-apologise-to-holocaust-survivor-for-calling-migrants-invasion

Ohh and she said it over a month before Linekar did.

Also we all know you don't actually believe that and will toss this idiotic rule aside the second it is inconvenient to your next post defending bigots and racists.

hotmail.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120343277#Comment_120343277

We have to presume Lineker has studied 1930s Germany to make such a comparison.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120343330#Comment_120343330

Well yeah the information is widespread.

Strazdas

The BBC have backed the wrong horse. The Tories and the Daily Mail are generally nasty individuals trying to stoke up hatred, whilst Gary Lineker is very popular and much admired (apart from by the bigots). Shafting Lineker in order to keep the Tories and the Mail (and their readers) happy is a massive strategic blunder.

growleaves

Firing Lineker just makes it look like no one knows how to respond to him. The language comparison he made is extremely vague.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120342470#Comment_120342470

This woman, a holocaust survivor whose family was murdered by the Nazis, said effectively the same thing to sullea bravermans face. Was she giving a political opinion or was it just an insult?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/14/suella-braverman-wont-apologise-to-holocaust-survivor-for-calling-migrants-invasion

Hermy

I caught some of Alastair Campbell's interview with Ben Brown on BBC News yesterday afternoon.

Great interview but one thing he said stayed with me - don't be a bystander.

And that's what Gary Lineker isn't - he's not a bystander.

I admire him for that.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120343330#Comment_120343330

Would you stop with the nonsense! Braverman's being absolutely vile and your indirect defending of her and her vile immigration policies is absolutely disgusting.

What Lineker said in his tweet was 100% accurate. He said nothing that was not true. It may have offended your sensitive pro-Tory feelings but that you were offended hearing the truth and strangely not by the despicable ongoing comments from senior Tories says a lot about you!

Water John

Former DG Greg Dyke says the BBC have got it wrong

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/11/bbc-has-undermined-its-credibility-with-lineker-move-says-greg-dyke

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120344203#Comment_120344203

Interesting thing in there was the League one team saying they wont be giving interviews to the BBC, I know its only a single League one team but if that spread to the championship and then premiership the BBC would be in real trouble.

Also it confirms what I and many others here have mentioned that football reporters/pundits or anyone outside news and current affairs departments should never and were never beholden to the impartiality bullsh1t.

Manach

On the Lineker row it is instrustive to note how many on the Left now seem to care about free political speach but almost all are silent when commentators trespass against their own norms and are removed from jobs/roles (eg. the historian David Starkey or Rodger Scruton to name some of more prominent).

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120343220#Comment_120343220

So you don't believe people should be allowed express an opinion ?

Do you think it's ok to cancel people for their views ?

HalloweenJack

Wading through this story, I founf a quote from Braverman saying that the ECHR is politicsed and sometimes against British values.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64907772.amp

i wonderer what she meant by 'British values' and her own website has a piece about them:

https://www.suellabraverman.co.uk/oath-british-values

Interestingly, she says:

"A belief in equality, democracy and respect for the law underpins British society".

These immigrants are hardly being treated equally, silencing opposing views is hardly democratic and her respect for the law is dodgy given her grievances with the ECHR and her own breaching of protocol in her previous stint in the Home Office (one of the arguments against Lineker is he breached the terms of the BBC) when she sent documents from her private e-mail.

What an odious individual.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120344449#Comment_120344449

Heres the difference they were allowed say those things, yes they were punished for saying what they said not for simply saying anything. However Linekar we all know is also being punished for saying what he said but according to the BBC and their policies he is being punished for simply voicing any opinion which when you look at the likes of alan sugar et al is also completely inconsistent. But the problem is the BBC cant say hes being punished for pointing out the factual similarities between tory language and 1930s Germany so they have to pretend hes being punished for voicing any opinion.

You understand now? He is being told he cant have any opinion yet we know that's simply not the case due to the many examples of those with the right opinion being able to say what they like so he is being specifically targeted for having the wrong opinion. If they were honest and said he was being sacked for having the wrong opinion this would be a whole other problem and he would be in a similar situation to those you mentioned but that's not what has happened.

Also nobody is against free speech say what you want but there might be consequences for what say, the problem again here is Linekar is being told hes facing consequences for simply saying anything at all and it has nothing to do with his opinion which once again we all know is total bullsh1t. The lie, dishonesty and blatant double standard is the heart of the issue here.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120344449#Comment_120344449

Starkey is an interesting example to use. "Slavery couldn't be classed as genocide, otherwise there wouldn't be so many damn blacks in Britain would there?"

That seems a bit more than merely 'trespassing against the norms of the left'.