The BBC is likely to be “looking into” Gary Lineker’s criticism of Conservative politicians, which appear to breach the BBC’s social media guidelines, the government’s proposed new chair of the corporation has said.
In his first public comments since being announced as the culture secretary’s “preferred candidate” for the key position in the BBC, Samir Shah said he did not think it was “helpful” that the Match of the Day presenter had signed a letter calling on political leaders to come up with a “fair new plan for refugees” and scrap its Rwanda scheme, but did not see it as a breach of the rules.
Speaking to MPs at a pre-appointment hearing on Wednesday, Shah said: “I don’t think it was very helpful either for Gary Lineker or the BBC or the cause he supports because it becomes a story about Gary Linker and the BBC.”
Conservative MPs reacted angrily to Lineker’s support for a letter published on the website of the campaign coalition Together With Refugees before a vote on the safety of Rwanda bill, which narrowly avoided defeat in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening.
The legislation is designed to overcome concerns raised by the supreme court, which ruled last month that the Rwanda policy in its previous form violated domestic and international law.
The defence secretary, Grant Shapps, said Lineker “should stop meddling in these other areas”. He added: “It’s all very well signing letters … but I would suggest just focusing on football would be a better solution for him.”
Responding on X, Lineker posted that the comment was “a tad rich coming from someone who can’t even stick to one name. 4 chaps Shapps,” a reference to the fact that Shapps had a second job as a “multimillion-dollar web marketer” under the pseudonym Michael Green for at least a year after he became an MP.
A tad rich coming from someone who can’t even stick to one name. 4 chaps Shapps. https://t.co/hjLL6VvZSh pic.twitter.com/d6dvkE1B7M
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 11, 2023
The rightwing Tory MP Jonathan Gullis said it was “yet another breach of the BBC’s impartiality rules by Gary Lineker”.
Yet another breach of the BBC’s impartiality rules by @GaryLineker.
— Jonathan Gullis MP (@GullisJonathan) December 11, 2023
But, sadly, spineless Tim Davie will do nothing about it, having surrendered to Lineker previously.
https://t.co/0qWkoRNOmk
Lineker responded by saying: “Jonathan hasn’t read the new guidelines … or, should I say, had someone read them to him?”
Jonathan hasn’t read the new guidelines….or, should I say, had someone read them to him? https://t.co/bxxxbj5Twb
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 11, 2023
In September the BBC updated its social media guidelines to include a strengthened “Lineker clause” in an attempt to stop high-profile presenters expressing strong views on party politics.
The guidelines state that presenters on flagship shows must not endorse or attack a political party, criticise the character of individual politicians in the UK, or take up an official role in campaigning groups.
Shah – who told MPs that the veteran political broadcaster Andrew Neil had suggested he apply for the role of BBC chair – said that although he did not believe Lineker’s signing of the letter had breached the BBC’s social media guidelines, identifying a politician by name appeared to do so.
“The more recent tweet in which he identifies a politician does, on the face of it, seem to breach those guidelines,” he said. “I’m not sure how egregious it is but I imagine the BBC is looking into it and considering its response.”
Asked what he would do if he were chair of the BBC, Shah said he would ask the director general, Tim Davie, to “interrogate quite forcibly” whether the guidelines were serving their purpose.
Asked by Damian Green MP if he thought Lineker was giving the BBC “two fingers” with his political posts, Shah said that if he were chair “I would be thinking if we have the balance right between freedom of expression and the duty to be impartial”.
He said: “It’s very clear when it comes to news and current affairs and when it’s not, but there is this grey area in which Mr Lineker sits and I share your frustration and I would invite the director general and his team to find a solution.
“I do think we need to find a solution to this because it doesn’t help anyone and it does damage the reputation of the BBC if we are constantly in this round, not just with this particular presenter. The BBC’s reputation matters and this isn’t helpful and we do need to find a solution to it, and if I were to be chair I would be keen to bring about a solution.”
Asked if he believed public service broadcasters had a long-term future, Shah said: “I absolutely hope so and believe so. It has an immensely important role to play in public life.”
