London: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced that it will reinstate Gary Lineker after suspending him over his criticism of the UK government’s asylum policy on Twitter.
The suspension of the popular presenter – who has been the face of BBC’s flagship show ‘Match of the Day’ for almost twenty-five years – resulted in a severe backlash against Britain’s public broadcaster. The BBC has been accused of cowering in front of the ruling dispensation.
Ending the weekend of chaos, BBC director general Tim Davie in a statement on Monday, March 13, said, “Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.”
Davie announced that there would be a review of the BBC’s social media guidelines by an impartial expert. He said they were a cause of “potential confusion”. The public broadcaster had invoked the same guidelines to suspend Lineker.
Davie, while obliquely referring to criticism unleashed against the BBC over the weekend, said he understood it had been a “difficult period for staff,” but he was looking forward to Lineker’s reinstatement.
The decision to suspend Lineker was also slammed by BBC employees, soccer players, Premier League managers, and politicians, which sparked a boycott that disrupted the network’s schedule.
Greg Dyke, the BBC’s former director general, claimed that by suspending Lineker, the station had “undermined its own credibility” since it appeared as though it had “bowed to government pressure.”
“Impartiality is important to the BBC. It is also important to the public,” Davie added in Monday’s statement. “The BBC has a commitment to impartiality in its Charter and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act to get right where people are subject to different contracts and on-air positions, and with different audiences and social media profiles.”
“The BBC’s social media guidance is designed to help manage these sometimes difficult challenges and I am aware there is a need to ensure that the guidance is up to this task. It should be clear, proportionate, and appropriate.”
While thanking Davie for his “understanding during this difficult time”, Lineker tweeted, in his true style, that he was unable to resist one last kick on social media. He tweeted, “However difficult the last few days have been, it simply does not compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.”
He added: “It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you.”
Also, I’d like to thank Tim Davie for his understanding during this difficult period. He has an almost impossible job keeping everybody happy, particularly in the area of impartiality. I am delighted that we’ll continue to fight the good fight, together.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 13, 2023
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The reinstatement of Lineker by the BBC comes at a time when BBC chairman Richard Sharp is under pressure to resign over the dispute that he has generated an unprecedented crisis at the organisation.
There are strong ties between the BBC and the Conservative Party, which is now in power in the United Kingdom. Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, received an £800,000 loan from the corporation’s chairman, Richard Sharp, who was previously exposed for this. David Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, demanded Sharp’s resignation on Saturday.
Robbie Gibb, who served as Theresa May’s press secretary while she was a member of the Conservative Party, has been a non-executive director on the BBC board since 2021. Tim Davie, the current director general of the BBC, previously ran for council in the London district of Hammersmith as a member of the Conservative Party.
