Labour MP provokes anger in likening Tories to Putin

LABOUR is under fire after one of its frontbenchers said the Government resembled Vladimir Putin’s Russia over the Gary Lineker row.

Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, made the remarks as she forced a debate over the controversy, which saw the presenter briefly “step back” from presenting Match of the Day.

Lineker last week drew parallels between the language used by the Home Secretary around the Illegal Migration Bill and Germany in the 1930s. Downing Street had said his tweet was “not acceptable” but that any disciplinary action was a matter for the BBC, while Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, deemed the comments “personally offensive” as her husband is Jewish.

Asking an urgent question in the Commons about the matter yesterday to Julia Lopez, the culture minister, Ms Powell said: “What does she think it looks like to the outside world that a much-loved sports presenter is taken off air for tweeting something the Government doesn’t like?

“It sounds more like Putin’s Russia to me. Her Government has pursued a deliberate strategy of undermining the BBC to keep it over a barrel to get themselves more coverage.

“It was on full display overnight and I’m sure it will be on full display here [again] – threaten the licence fee, cut its funding, undermine its credibility. All in pursuit in [sic] keeping their foot on the BBC’S throat.”

In her reply, Ms Lopez said it was “distasteful” of Ms Powell “to compare the Government’s actions, or otherwise, to the Putin regime.

She added it was “incredibly important” to allow the BBC to conduct a review of its social media guidelines, which has been prompted by the furore.

Ms Lopez said it was “difficult not to ignore” that Lineker “will be understandably held to account for his views by the licence-fee payer” as he receives £1.3million from the BBC every year.

Responding to Ms Powell’s analogy, Lee Anderson, the deputy Conservative chairman, said: “Anyone can see these comments are overblown and just plain ridiculous. Ms Powell should apologise.” Marco Longhi, the Tory MP for Dudley North, accused the shadow culture secretary of “ignorance and poundshop politics” in the wake of her comments.