Gary Lineker latest: PM says BBC row ‘not a government issue’ as crisis deepens

BBC director-general Tim Davie has said he will not stand down over the Gary Lineker row over social media use and impartiality.

Speaking to the BBC’s Nomia Iqbal in the US, Davie was asked if he “should” step down over the crisis, which has seen widespread disruption to Saturday’s sports coverage.

He confirmed that he would not, but apologized for any disturbance.

“I am sorry that the audience has been affected and they have not programmed”, he told Ms Iqbal.

“As an avid sports fan, I know missing programming is a real blow and I’m sorry. We’re working very hard to resolve this situation and make sure we get output on air.

“Everyone wants to resolve the situation calmly. Gary Lineker is the best in the business – that’s not up for debate.”

BBC chairman Richard Sharp is “totally unable” to handle the Gary Lineker row, Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell has said.

She has written to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to demand Mr Sharp’s position be “urgently clarified”, saying his involvement in arranging an £800,000 loan facility for Boris Johnson has “deeply damaged perceptions of the BBC’s impartiality and independence from government”.

She wrote: “As the ultimate arbiter of these matters, Richard Sharp’s position, which was already increasingly untenable, must be immediately clarified. He is the one who must give staff, viewers and complainants confidence that the organization has acted proportionately and fairly. He is totally incapable of performing this function”.

Ms Powell called on Ms Frazer to detail all conversations she had with Mr Sharp, director-general Tim Davie and other BBC bosses about Lineker’s suspension.

She also asked the Minister to clarify when the investigation of Mr. Sharp’s appointment would be terminated.

Saturday night’s episode of Fantasy 606 will not be shown on BBC Radio 5, presenter Chris Sutton has announced.

Sutton tweeted that he hoped Gary Lineker and the BBC would sort out “this messed up situation”.

“There’s no 606 tonight,” he said.

“I hope Gary Lineker and the BBC sort this mess out and that Gary is back on MOTD soon, but I would have loved to have worked on our football phone tonight and chatted about football and all the games of the day.”

Today’s match will be shown tonight on BBC One but will last “just 20 minutes” – with no presenters, pundits, commentary or interviews – after the fallout from the decision to take Gary Lineker off air forced the BBC into a severely limited highlights programme.

The BBC said on Friday night that Match of the Day would be shown “without studio presentation or expertise” after Ian Wright and Alan Shearer stepped down in “solidarity” with Lineker, but the withdrawal of Match of the Day commentators forced producers for a further reconsideration.

The BBC apologized for “limited sports programming this weekend” after Football Focus and Final Score were removed from the Saturday afternoon programme.

The programs were pulled after hosts Alex Scott and Jason Mohammed said they would not appear on air. It comes after the BBC ruled that Lineker’s criticism of the government’s new asylum policy had breached its impartiality guidelines.

My colleague Jamie Braidwood reports:

GB news has announced it is stepping up to give the people what they “need” and will put on an alternative to the BBC’s Match of the Day.

The problem – they don’t own the rights to broadcast match footage.

Mark Dolan reveals the plan in this clip, saying that if the BBC “won’t serve” its audience, then they will try to fill the gap.

“I’m Gary Lineker and to make it feel like today’s game, GB News will pay me £1.3m,” he joked.

The Prime Minister has commented on the controversy surrounding the BBC’s decision to take Gary Lineker off air for the first time, saying it is “a matter for them, not the government”.

In a statement, Rishi Sunak said: “As Prime Minister I have to do what I think is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.

“Gary Lineker was a fantastic footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in due course, but that is rightly a matter for them, not the government.”

In a statement, Rishi Sunak said: “As Prime Minister I have to do what I think is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.

“Gary Lineker was a fantastic footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in due course, but that is rightly a matter for them, not the government.

“While that process is underway, it is important that we maintain perspective, especially given the seriousness of the problem at hand. 45,000 people crossed the Channel illegally last year, many of whom have been exploited or trafficked by criminal gangs and brought their life in danger.

“We need to break this cycle of misery once and for all, and the policy we’ve put in place this week, I think, aims to do just that. It’s not only the just and moral thing to do, it is also the compassionate thing to do.

“There are no easy answers to solving this problem, but I believe that leadership is about making the hard decisions to solve problems. I know that not everyone will always agree, but I believe that this is fair and true.”

The Prime Minister has commented on the controversy surrounding the BBC’s decision to take Gary Lineker off air for the first time, saying it is “a matter for them, not for the Government”.

Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf has accused the BBC of bowing to pressure from a “right-wing government” after former England striker Gary Lineker was taken off air for comments on Twitter.

Other presenters and pundits then boycotted the show, as well as other sports programs on the BBC – resulting in the company saying it would only broadcast “limited sports programming” at weekends.

But Mr Yousaf backed Lineker, saying the BBC “had to take a long hard look at itself”.

Speaking at a husting event in Glasgow, which was held as part of the contest to become the next SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Mr Yousaf said the corporation had made a “mess” of the situation.

The current Scottish Health Secretary stated: “Gary Lineker didn’t just hit the back of the net with his refugee comments, he scored a hat-trick. He was absolutely right.

“It seems to be, for the BBC, you can have free speech when you talk about the Conservatives, but you can’t have free speech when you tear them down and talk about their abhorrent, their immoral practices.”

He continued: “I am a supporter of public broadcasting and I would also be in an independent Scotland.

“But my goodness, having given in to the pressure of a right-wing government – the BBC needs to take a long hard look at itself.”

The impact of the Gary Lineker row has spread to Scotland, where coverage of sport on radio and television has been affected.

A statement from BBC Scotland read: “Sportscene will run tonight on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland, with a modified format in line with current plans for Match of the Day.

“Some of the Sportsound play on Radio Scotland was replaced by pre-recorded material.

“We are sorry for these changes, which we recognize will be disappointing for BBC Sport fans. We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon.”

BBC Radio Wales has been affected by the company having to curtail its sports programming as Rob Phillips’ show has been pulled from the programme.

Call Rob Phillips, where the presenter gives listeners’ views on the latest sporting action, has been replaced by a recorded gala concert celebrating 100 years of BBC Wales.