Gary Lineker had the best response to calls for him to be sacked over his Suella Braverman criticism
Gary Lineker has got people of a certain political hue in an absolute froth today after he criticised Home Secretary Suella Braverman and her Illegal Migration Bill.
The government’s latest attempt to prevent asylum seekers from coming to the UK has been condemned by the United Nations’ refugee agency and is expected to face no end of legal challenges.
🗣️ “Enough is enough. We must stop the boats.”@SuellaBraverman, The Home Secretary. pic.twitter.com/Ni4nhuh44b
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) March 7, 2023
It prompted widespread criticism – read 22 of our favourite responses here – and among them was Lineker, who said this.
Good heavens, this is beyond awful. https://t.co/f0fTgWXBwp
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 7, 2023
There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 7, 2023
And it prompted no end of fury from all the usual suspects, such as prominent boat loather and Conservative MP Lee Anderson ..
To use the Nazi word in this context is disgusting and vile. The BBC should disassociate themselves from these types of comments and ask themselves the question 'is this the type of comment they expect from their publicly funded presenters?'
Awful. pic.twitter.com/pSi6XO7lL5
— Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) March 8, 2023
.. and non-entity immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who had this to say to LBC’s Nick Ferrari today.
‘He’s so out of step with British public opinion.’
Immigration Minister @RobertJenrick tells @NickFerrariLBC that Gary Lineker should be ‘shown a red card’ for his ‘inappropriate’ comparison of migrant policy to Nazi Germany. pic.twitter.com/T2BXap8CgR
— LBC (@LBC) March 8, 2023
Oh, and of course this lot.
HYPOCRISY: “It’s time to cancel Gary Lineker!”
From the newspaper that hates cancel culture. pic.twitter.com/n1U5UH4vdv
— The DM Reporter (@DMReporter) March 8, 2023
And there were lots of totally on-point responses.
The BBC is apparently going to ‘speak to’ @GaryLineker about this tweet, which is ironic as it’s more accurate than most of the corporation’s actual news coverage. pic.twitter.com/hVCEE1DWfu
— Brendan May (@bmay) March 8, 2023
https://twitter.com/secrettory12/status/1633364723562414083?s=20
If you’re cross about being compared to Nazis, then calling for your critics to be silenced & sacked probably isn’t the best way to prove them wrong.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) March 8, 2023
https://twitter.com/TobyonTV/status/1633367033910837249?s=20
If Suella Braverman doesn't like her government being compared to the Nazis then perhaps she and they could stop using the rhetoric of …. Nazis.
— Otto English (@Otto_English) March 8, 2023
So it’s OK for the chairman of the BBC to give £400,000 to the Conservative Party by not for Gary Lineker to have an opinion #r4today
— Bob Hawkins (@salvatorRosa) March 8, 2023
Right-wing politicians & pundits attacking a sports broadcaster for a measured description of deliberately disgusting rhetoric is not just about Gary Lineker. It’s a warning to everyone at the BBC not to upset them. Fear of being next in the firing line influences many decisions.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) March 8, 2023
Isn’t a bit odd how much BBC News is banging on about BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker and his political views?
— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) March 8, 2023
But surely the best response came from Gary Lineker himself.
Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree. 👊🏻
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 8, 2023
Nailed it.
Morning all. Anything going on?
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 8, 2023
I have never known such love and support in my life than I’m getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot. I’ll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice. Cheers all. 👊🏻
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 8, 2023
And here’s just a flavour of what people made of that.
At a time when Garys are being phased out…
I’m so glad we have this one. https://t.co/AHRbwlqIeR
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) March 8, 2023
If there were those in the BBC hoping for a big dollop of contrition from Gary to defuse the row with the government over #AsylumSeekers, they haven't got it…… https://t.co/fohCpD6ynk
— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) March 8, 2023
Robert Jenrick attacked Lineker this morning for being 'out of step with the British public'. It's a line I've heard from a few of them & it is obviously fascistic: the freedom to openly criticise the government of the time is one of the most important freedoms a population has. https://t.co/nVZlT1rlfN
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) March 8, 2023
You speak for many of us, Gary. Respect. https://t.co/cWEsR969dL
— Frances 'Cassandra' Coppola (@Frances_Coppola) March 8, 2023
To conclude …
https://twitter.com/michellegayle1/status/1633368845304975361?s=20
And this.
https://twitter.com/domjoly/status/1633408814929027075?s=20
Source Twitter @GaryLineker
