09 March 2023 , 12:14
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Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has got himself into a lot of hot water over his tweet comparing the UK's new Illegal Migration Bill to Nazi Germany.
Earlier this week, the BBC star described the government's new controversial Illegal Migration Bill as 'beyond awful' - later adding: "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."
The star, 62, also retweeted a telling tweet that took aim at possible double standards from those at the top of the state-funded broadcaster, raising questions about the organisation's much-vaunted neutrality.
All staff and on-air talent at the organisation are bound by 'due' impartiality.
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This is particularly important for news presenters, but Lineker, of course, works in sport and tweets from his personal Twitter account.
"I try to be sensible," he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's 'considerate' to his employers when it comes to tweeting his opinions.
He added the BBC rules "only apply to people in news and current affairs".
The organisation's editorial guidelines state: "Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation."
However, there was growing anger that Lineker, 62, faced a rap for “impartiality” on Government views by BBC bosses just weeks after it emerged BBC chairman Richard Sharp had introduced someone to then-PM Boris Johnson to guarantee an £800,000 loan.
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