Gary Lineker broke BBC impartiality rules by criticising Conservative politicians, the corporation’s incoming chairman has told MPs.
Speaking to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Wednesday, Samir Shah said the Match of the Day presenter had crossed a line by sparring with politicians on X/Twitter.
Earlier this week, Lineker signed a letter calling for a new asylum system that “reflects the will of the British people”.
It demanded: “We need a new system that reflects the will of the British people who have opened their homes, donated and volunteered in their local communities. That’s why I’m backing this new campaign because fair really can begin here.”
Tory MP Jonathan Gullis hit back to insist Lineker face punishment over his criticism of the government, writing: "Yet another breach of the BBC’s impartiality rules by Gary Lineker. But, sadly, spineless [BBC Director-General] Tim Davie will do nothing about it, having surrendered to Lineker previously.”
The Walkers spokesman hit back telling his followers: "Jonathan hasn’t read the new guidelines….or, should I say, had someone read them to him?"
That post appears to have breached new BBC rules introduced for high-profile corporation staff in September following a previous controversy over Lineker’s remarks.
The policy allows flagship presenters to express their own views on issues and policies, but must not criticise the character of individual politicians in the UK.
At the time, the former England striker said the guidelines were “very sensible”.
Speaking to MPs, Shah said: "As far as I'm aware, the signing of the letter did not breach those guidelines.
"But the more recent tweet in which he identifies a politician does, on the face of it, seem to breach those guidelines.
"I'm not sure how egregious it is but I imagine the BBC is looking into it and considering its response."
Earlier this week, former BBC director of television Danny Cohen said the national broadcaster must part ways with the "insolent" Lineker.
Writing for The Telegraph, he said: “At the moment, Mr Lineker is behaving as if he is much bigger than his club - the BBC - with the insolent inference that there is nothing that his manager - the director-general - can or will do to stop him.”
Lineker previously sparked controversy when he declared earlier this year that the language used around the UK’s immigration policy was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s.”
Holocaust survivor Agnes Grunwald-Spier MBE had said the Match of the Day host “should be ashamed” for his tweet.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “However passionately we feel about important and pressing issues of the day, it seems to me that comparing those current concerns to the almost unimaginable horrors of the Nazi period is wrong.”
