UNITED KINGDOM – Who knew a sportswriter’s scathing comment on Britain’s immigration policy would cause such a stir? Friday, March 10, gary linekerformer footballer and presenter of the program game of the daywas suspended for the BBC for having compared the reception policy for immigrants in the United Kingdom with that of “1930s Germany” On twitter. Two days later, the channel, now in the midst of a great media and political protest, saw how his decision became a true matter of State.

Politicians, journalists, athletes and even DJs… Many have spoken this weekend in favor of the very popular Gary Lineker. The BBC, which sees the matter reignite debates about its duty of impartiality judged on variable geometry and criticism of its management, had to turn its sports programming upside down for the second day in a row.

Not only have nearly all of his sports journalists and advisers defected in support of his colleague, but a dozen Premier League clubs have also announced they will no longer take questions from the group at a press conference. As a result, several football shows were canceled at the last minute, forcing the BBC to apologize to viewers.

“I don’t know when the BBC has ever been impartial”

“Blackout on BBC Sport”titled this sunday sunday express while the issue was still making headlines, in the context of a very tense debate surrounding a new immigration bill. Precisely, the British government is trying to prevent immigrants who arrived illegally through the English Channel from requesting asylum in the United Kingdom, a project denounced even at the UN and which, by the Minister of the Interior’s own confession, brave sole, “repel” the limits of international law.

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On the one hand, the conservatives ask for a public apology from the journalist, while on the other, the opposition asks for his return to the air. On Sunday morning, UK Chancellor of Finance Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to “The BBC retains its reputation for independence and impartiality”. “When you interview me, people need to know that you are doing it on behalf of the public, not for political reasons”he has said.

The BBC is regularly attacked by Conservatives who accuse it of biased coverage of Brexit and of being more interested in urban elites than the working classes. Last year, the government froze his license fee for two years.

the channel wants ” choose “ when their presenters should be impartial and when not, said former English footballer John Barnes. “I don’t know when the BBC has ever been impartial, but the BBC’s reporting on the World Cup was anything but impartial.”denounced Sky News.

“BBC Chairman Richard Sharp should resign”

The opposition, for its part, criticizes the BBC for giving in to pressure from power by suspending Gary Lineker. Criticism is also growing against the appointment in 2021, on government advice, of Richard Sharp to the presidency of the BBC. This former banker, a well-known financial supporter of the Conservative Party, would have acted as a matchmaker shortly before taking office to help his friend and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to obtain a loan of 800,000 pounds (900,000 euros).

“I think BBC Chairman Richard Sharp should resign”said Ed Davey, the leader of Lib-Dem. “The Conservative government has been undermining the BBC for a number of years, including through their appointments. »

Under pressure, the group’s CEO, Tim Davie, refused to ” absolutely “ resign He said he wanted “solve the situation calmly” and? “Gary’s Back in the Air”.

On Twitter, where he has 8.8 million subscribers, Gary Lineker had denounced “a cruel policy aimed at the most vulnerable, in language not unlike that used by Germany in the 1930s”.

gary lineker “He loves Match Of The Day but he will never go back on his words”his son, George Lineker, told the Sunday Mirror. On social media, he added that he was ” proud “ from his father, and that he shouldn’t have to apologize “be a good person”.

If the end of the crisis is still not in sight, meanwhile, the hearings broke out this Saturday for the essentials “Game of the Day”, which was broadcast in a reduced format, without a presenter or advisers. More than 2.5 million viewers watched, almost 500,000 more than the previous week according to the BBC.

See also in The Huff Post :

Emmanuel Macron receives Rishi Sunak to “reconnect the threads” damaged by Brexit

In England, this extreme right-wing demonstration against immigrants has degenerated