There is only one story in the news this morning, and it is Gary Lineker's tweets.
For the record these are the tweets that he sent that have put him in the news:
It is the last sentence of the second tweet that put him in the news. It is a sentiment with which I agree, unsurprisingly, because it is true. In my opinion, as a factual observation it cannot be faulted. It is obvious that Gary Lineker thinks so as well. He is very obviously unrepentant.
So what is the storm about? According to Richard Ayre, a former BBC Controller of Editorial Policy speaking on Radio 4 this morning, it is about impartiality. Lineker is, apparently, allowed to talk about football on the BBC and not have political opinion, or he can go elsewhere and have that opinion, but he cannot talk about the abuse of asylum seekers and work as a sports reporter for the BBC. That is, apparently, not possible.
Saying so Ayre did, of course, reflect the opinion of the Conservative Party. They are outraged by Lineker on this issue.
They forget that Lineker was actually engaged by the BBC to talk about the abuse of human rights in Qatar in place of the opening ceremony of the World Cup not many months ago. All that is different now is that he is talking about the egregious abuse of human rights here as well.
They also ignore the very obvious bias in so much BBC broadcasting. Tonight's Question Time has a Tory MP, a Tory peer and Richard Madeley on it, all obviously right wing, and it is chaired by Fiona Brice, whose pro-Tory bias when chairing the programme is well documented. She allows Tories more time and interrupts them less.
Ayre also ignores the fact that this morning the BBC were saying ‘Stop the Boats', a Tory three word slogan, is the political issue iof the moment, and that by doing so they push all other issues of concern off that agenda as if its role is solely to amplify Tory messages in the Tory press without for a moment using its own editorial discretion or judgement.
What becomes apparent is that judgement is allowed, but only so long as it is Tory biased. In addition criticism is allowed, but only so long as it is not of the Tories. Then it is unacceptable.
Lineker is clearly not planding to stand down. As he has noted:
Again, he is right, barring one thing which I also noted on Twitter:
Lineker is not the only person to have told the truth, of course. But he has committed the revolutionary act of being noticed doing so. He spotted and called out fascism by those who think calling someone a fascist much more serious than actually being one. And for that the Tories are, as ever, calling him inept or are telling him that he should stick to football as if someone who knows how to play that game exceptionally well should not have political opinion when everything is political, including football.
What to think about this then? At least three things. First, support Lineker if you can. He might be wealthy. He might be famous. He is also a human being under attack for saying the right thing. At some time that is going to be a lonely place. He will need resilience to fight this, as seems to be his intention. I wish him well. He will need all the support he can get.
Second, monitor the BBC. Their role as re-broadcaster of government opinion is becoming deeply troubling. They are the real story. Their impartiality has gone: they are now a state mouthpiece. So far I have not seen or heard any serious analysis of the government's new policy there. Sky is considerably more effective at doing that and is now the most reliable source of domestic news given that Channel 4 spends so much time on foreign affairs.
Third, appreciate that this is about the right to stand up to fascism. Years ago, soon after John Christensen and I effectively co-founded the Tax Justice Network and were leading its work we discussed what the biggest threat to the work we were doing might be. We both suggested it was fascism. That was back in 2005. We hoped we would not have to face it. We did, however, know that was the neoliberal destination: it is a philosophy that does not tolerate opposition and is fascistic in tendency as a result. Now we are there.
Now everyone has a choice. They can stand up to fascism or they can enable it. Silence is not an option. Germany in the 1930s proved that.
Lineker has stood up to fascism. So must we all. Our freedom depends upon us doing so.
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Freedom of speech anyone? Many talking heads, some of whom are on TV channels in the 230-239 channel number range on Freeview, bang on about their freedom of speech and ‘being cancelled’. Isn’t this what they are doing to Gary Lineker?
Gary Lineker knows he has a wide audience to what he posts on social media and, in my opinion, is using that opportunity wisely, bravely and for all the right reasons. Gary is a legend.
Yes, this so-called government is fascist. And the bill they presented yesterday is designed to sow hate and division within society.
Craig
I choose not to call anything I disagree with fascist. I see others do it, and it screams lazy, unintelligent and morally fake.
I do not call anything I disagree with fascist.
I describe fascism as fascism.
Fascists never describe themselves as fascists.
What do you call fascism? Tory party policy?
The American scholar Robert O Paxton has written a lot on Fascism. It varies between countries and has a number of features , most of which can be found in other regimes. But it is the extent to which these features apply.
He distinguishes between traditional and authoritarian regimes such as Franco’s in Spain where power was with the army, landowners and ‘big’ business, and with Italy and Germany where the Fascists spoke of over throwing the effete elite which had ‘betrayed’ the people. Fascists build on a sense of grievance which already exists and exploits it-so Treaty of Versailles and Great Inflation, Italy not being awarded territory after the war and in the US, The Ku Klux Klan and the civil war.
He claims the 1920/30 versions were working class non -socialist movements but they did deals with big industrialists ( curbing unions being part of the deal) and bankers. Like the pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm they moved to take on the trappings of the old rulers.
Not all the usual list apply to this government but the assertion of a plot to frustrate Braverman linked to the evocation of the ‘will of the British people”, the encouragement of hate towards migrants and, to an extent, the EU, the deification of the past and national symbols, the war on ‘woke’, the role of Oligarchs and corporate power and demonisation of trade unions, are all features.
If we think back to what was acceptable discourse only 15 years ago and compare it with now, we can see how things have changed.
Edwin
You need to read a lot more matey boy.
If you read Hannah Arendt -someone who very nearly got sent to a Nazi gas chamber – you’d find out that all around us are people prone to falling for fascism in our society.
Your fascist government – in how it got us to leave a perfectly good trade partnership, how it has assaults those who try to hold it to account from environmental protestors, to the Linekers of this world and to even High Court Judges makes fake enemies out or people who believe in real democracy and challenge what they say.
Your fascist government also deliberately makes people unhappy by using austerity and sets neighbour against neighbour, workers against other workers for the sole purpose of creating disharmony and disrupting the creation of a better world.
They must be really good at it Edwin. They’re so good at it that people like you Edwin don’t even realise that they are doing it!!
Do you Edwin?
It really is time to make a stand ..,
Yeah, we share and call things out on Twitter, but the bills still go through and our liberties are still chipped away at. Actually it’s more than chipped away, it’s a culling!
I’m just hoping big protests start happening soon… enough people are reaching breaking point, if not they’re approaching fast.
We really do need to show them there’s more of us!
Desperate times Richard, desperate times.
Agreed
Fortunately there are lots of people making a stand, lots of people standing up on twitter and saying, “I am Lineker.”
I notice “fascism” is not in the glossary.
Yet
Hi Richard,
You may wish to ponder the attached link & the similarities between Germany’s Madagascar plan & the Tories Rwanda plans. Gary Lineker was & is right & should be wholeheartedly supported.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-madagascar-plan-2
The simalrities are frightening
Someone just posted this on the Guardian daily news blog:
Interesting to read what the BBC made of Jeremy Clarksons often hate filled rants while he worked for the BBC:
“The BBC often played down his comments as ultimately not having the weight they were ascribed. In 2007, they described Clarkson as “not a man given to considered opinion”, and in response to an official complaint another BBC spokeswoman once said: “Jeremy’s colourful comments are always entertaining, but they are his own comments and not those of the BBC. More often than not they are said with a twinkle in his eye.”
Indeed
Superb, superb & Superb Richard!!
I’ve just managed to get home through the snow from Chesterfield’s CALOW hospital having left my partner there for a surgical assessment of a suspected infected appendix.
This is the conclusion to almost 30 hours spent in A&E/CT scan/local doctor’s surgery over the last two weeks. On two occasions at A&E we’ve seen patients waiting for beds still waiting as we left after our 5 hour and 7 hour wait just to be seen!!
I’ve not seen one patient get angry but its been really interesting seeing how many of the hard pressed people looking after us look like the immigrants this Fascist government wants to chuck back into the sea.
I’ve spent a lot of time though studying the faces in those waiting; some are impassive, others are obviously in pain but some look bewildered as to what is going on and many look frankly fed up although all look relieved when someone does something for them eventually.
So – in these waiting rooms this last two weeks, are these the people whom Braverman and Sunak under the direction of maybe a certain antipodean political strategist are hoping are going to vote for the Tories on the back of their fascist ‘immigration policy’? It looks like a wedge strategy to me. Or maybe the dead cat one?
What ever it is folks, don’t fall for it.
Fascism is Death.
The death of society.
The death of humanity.
And ultimately the death of you, your loved ones and everything you hold dear.
Don’t fall for it!
Good lines
Lineker was criticised last night for ‘comparing the government to the Nazis’. He didn’t. He compared the language of the 1930s. The language preceded the actions. He said the POLICY was cruel. Indeed it is.
Gary Lineker was the first item on the lunchtime and ten o’clock news yesterday . His tweets were mentioned then shown on the screen. I also saw comparisons of refugees coming here with other countries. In other words his points were given publicity. I wondered if the news journalists at the BBC, knowing their Chair is a Troy supporter as are other top people in the news and current affairs departments, decided to protest by giving Gary Lineker more publicity?
There was a post I saw last night where Orwell was quoted 1984. Winston Smith goes to the flicks -cinema-and there is news film of a boat full of people being attacked. A fat man tries to swim away and is killed by machine gun fire. The audience cheers. A woman and child are blown up. Lots of cheers from the party seats but a woman caused a scene saying it wasn’t right to show that in front of the kids. But, Winston observed, she was a Prole and no one takes any notice of them.
In my book Orwell ranks with the Old Testament prophets. We need people like that.
Really? Wow. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/10/david-attenborough-bbc-wild-isles-episode-rightwing-backlash-fears
Staggering
Tweeted