Lineker’s challenge to BBC director-general

Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, has a fight on his hands. Since taking over the job, he has made it a mission to reassert the corporation’s reputation for impartiality in line with its statutory obligations.

As one of his first acts, he introduced strict guidelines for staff on social media and in public life, committing the BBC to achieving due impartiality in all its output. Where those involved in news output are concerned “they should not … express a view for or against any policy which is a matter of current party political debate.”

Gary Lineker, the football presenter, is not involved in the news operation. However, does that give him carte blanche to ignore these guidelines? On Tuesday, he used Twitter to describe ministers’ choice of language in pursuit of their “stop the boats” policy as akin to 1930s Germany. The comparison caused outrage among Conservative ministers who are trying to stem the traffic across the Channel especially those, such as Grant Shapps and Robert Jenrick, whose families were victims of the Nazis.

Lineker was called in for talks with Mr Davie but is, apparently, uncontrite and determined to keep tweeting as a champion of the dispossessed.

He reported strong public support for his views and regards what he said as a matter of free speech, as indeed it is. But Lineker would not have the platform that he enjoys without his role presenting Match of the Day, for which he is rewarded handsomely from the proceeds of a licence fee paid by millions who take a different view.

He is entitled to his opinions but the whole point of the BBC’S impartiality rules is that he should keep them to himself. Mr Davie has had words with Lineker before and said reining him in was “a work in progress”. There is still some way to go, it seems. However, if he fails to act, what message will that send to the rest of the BBC’S employees?

Many of its journalists will be angry with Lineker for, once again, calling the impartiality of the corporation into question, since they regard being seen to take a non-partisan approach as fundamental to their integrity.

There is a lingering sense that what Lineker tweeted reflects a view that is widely held within the BBC. We can imagine how the corporation’s bosses would have reacted had a presenter tweeted that the Covid lockdown was like living in Nazi Germany. They would have received more than a dressing down.