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BBC Cowering Before Right-Wing Authoritarianism

Gary Lineker is of course right in everything he says about the government's asylum policy. There are two issues.


First, should a regular presenter be restricted from political comment outside the confines of their role, in the interests of public broadcast impartiality? The answer is obvious, and you would have thought that the BBC had learnt its lesson when it ended up apologizing for censuring Naga Munchetty for heartfelt comments on Donald Trump's blatant racism, following a public and internal outcry over her treatment. Munchetty's comments were made on a live BBC broadcast. Lineker's comments were off-air on his private social media account. Nobody is in any doubt that the comments are Lineker's rather than the BBC's.

Second, how circumspect should anyone be about comparing right wing nationalism with the political ideology of the Nazis? The answer is very. But Lineker has indeed been cautious in his language. I pointed out myself in the lead-up to the Brexit referendum that much of the talk from the Leave wing was founded in attitudes similar to those expressed in 1930s Germany.

And it is valid to point out the dreadful danger in appealing to populism, as the government is doing. It is precisely the kind of populism that brought the Nazis to power. And a look across to Europe shows how easy it is to fall into that pit even today.

So I'm glad that Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Alex Scott and Jason Mohammad are taking direct action in support of Lineker, and that others have been vocal in criticizing the BBC.

Alastair Campbell is surely right in accusing the BBC of cowering before right-wing authoritarianism. Especially as it's difficult to think of a recent Tory government that hasn't threatened the most respected broadcaster in the world with dissolution. And imagine if Lineker had instead tweeted that he supported the government policy: you'd have to be ludicrously gullible to believe he would end up getting suspended for that. He isn't been punished for lack of impartiality, but for criticizing government policy. That is what happens in Russia, China, Iran, Saudi, North Korea, Turkey, ...

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