Lineker’s comparison with the Nazis is highly relevant – in the 1930s the Tories demonised Jewish refugees in the same way as they demonise refugees today
Hats off to Gary Lineker! He has done more to fight racism against asylum seekers in one tweet than Stand Up to Racism has done in its entire existence!
We should also congratulate Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Alex Scott, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas for their solidarity with Lineker. Would that Starmer or Thornberry had the same honesty and integrity.
Thornberry – Israel is a beacon of light and democracy
The behaviour of Thornberry, for whom Israel is a a ‘beacon of light’ is despicable. Rather than calling out the racism of Cruella she parroted the Zionist line that the Holocaust is unique and must never be compared. Likewise the pathetic Yvette Cooper who skwawked that the 1930s must never be mentioned.
On the contrary we should compare and compare again what is happening today to what happened in the 30s when British immigration policy was responsible for thousands of Jewish refugees dying who could otherwise have been saved. It was the Cruella Bravermans of the 30s who protested that Britain was ‘full up’. It was the Tory newspapers – in particular the Express and Daily Mail who led the charge. On 20th August 1938 the Mail quoted approvingly an Old Street magistrate that
“The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage: the number of aliens entering the country through back door – a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed”
The sanctimonious hypocrisy of the BBC is staggering. They suspended Gary Lineker for comparing the Nazis’ demonisation of Jews with the Tory scapegoating of refugees yet they back to the hilt Islamaphobe John Ware and arch Tories such as Fiona Bruce, Tory Laura Kuensberg, Andrew Marr, Andrew Neil etc.
It’s no surprise that the BBC rushed to defend Cruella since it’s headed by corrupt Tory donor Richard Sharp and Tory Director General Tim Davy.
The Daily Mail in the 1930s on Hitler
We are told that the BBC became embroiled in a row over impartiality after Lineker compared the language used to launch the government’s asylum policy with 1930s Germany. Yet the BBC has never hesitated to give a platform to Nigel Farage on Question Time or framing the asylum debate solely in terms of it being a ‘problem’.
When have you ever heard the BBC highlight the fact that refugees come to this country because we went to their countries? When has the BBC drawn the connection between western wars in Syria, Libya and Iraq and the refugees who come to these shores? Always, without exception, the BBC treats the topic of refugees as a burden. Refugees are completely dehumanised.
Piers Morgan on Lineker
When it comes to racism the BBC is first to highlight the issue of free speech yet when it comes to anti-racism free speech disappears out of the window. When Cruella protested at being criticised and the Tory tabloids went on the attack the BBC jumped to attention.
The row was sparked by Lineker’s response on Twitter to a Home Office video in which home secretary Cruella unveiled plans to stop people crossing the Channel on small boats.
Thornberry’s Racist Rant
According to Thornberry Lineker “went too far” by comparing the Government’s policy to Nazi Germany. She said ‘there was a special place in hell for the Nazis’. Complete rubbish. The Nazis didn’t come from outer space. They came to power because western leaders saw in Hitler the saviour of Germany from communism. Hitler took inspiration for his eugenicist policies of sterilisation and euthanasia from similar policies in American states.
Once again Starmer and his front bench have sold the pass. Instead of defending refugees their criticisms were over whether the Tory policies would work. People like Rachel Reeves criticised the Tories because they weren’t deporting enough refugees.
Thornberry, the Assistant Attorney General, insisted that while the broadcaster feels strongly about the issue, his “Germany in the 30s” comment overstepped the mark.
“I think some of the language that Gary Lineker has used in the last 24 hours has been really very unfortunate, and I wouldn’t have used some of the [comments],”
Then there was another racist, Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper who told LBC that “we shouldn’t make comparisons with the 1930s”. Yet in 2017, when Trevor Kavanagh wrote a Sun column that said Britain must deal with “the Muslim problem”, Cooper tweeted:
When reports of islamophobia and antisemitism are rising, how can The Sun think it is okay to print a column on ‘The Muslim Problem’ with echoes of the 30s?
See Cooper attacked Lineker for comparison with 30s – but made comparison with 30s
And then Starmer Labour did a a U-Turn. Why? Because they suddenly realised that Lineker’s principled stance was popular. Not everyone is as cowardly and bigoted as the Labour front bench.
Nicola Sturgeon was quoted on Twitter as saying
“As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. But the decision to take Gary Lineker off air is indefensible. It is undermining free speech in the face of political pressure – & it does always seem to be right-wing pressure it caves to.”
Piers Morgan, not a natural progressive, opined that:
“It’s now a sackable offence in Britain to express an opinion. What a pathetic state of affairs.”
Former Arsenal player Ian Wright said
“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.”
Match of the Day pundit and former Newcastle United player Alan Shearer said:
“I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night.”
All pathetic Labour Party’s Home Affairs spokesperson Yvette Cooper could say was
“The focus on this is being used by the government, both to find someone to blame and also to distract from their own serious failures.”
Jeremy Corbyn on the other hand made his views crystal clear:
“Well done Gary Lineker for standing up for refugees. Well done Ian Wright for showing the meaning of solidarity.”
Head of Broadcasting Union BECTU Philippa Childs spoke out too:
“This is a deeply concerning decision from the BBC. It will give the appearance that they have bowed to political pressure from ministers to take someone off air for disagreeing with the policies of the current government.”
Match of the Day pundit and former Manchester City player Micah Richards said
I was not due to be working on MOTD tomorrow, but if I was, I would find myself taking the same decision that Ian Wright and Alan Shearer have.
Match of the Day pundit and ex-Spurs player Jermaine Jenas said
“I wasn’t down to be doing Match of the Day tomorrow, but if I was I would have said no and stood with my fellow pundits and Gary Lineker.”
The BBC’s Own Goal
As a result of the Tory domination of the BBC’s management Gary Lineker was suspended, however Tim Davy and Richard Sharp have clearly scored an own goal! What they didn’t and couldn’t have expected was the solidarity from Lineker’s fellow broadcasters.
As a result Match of the Day will have no commentators and it would seem likely that because of the actions of the Professional Footballer’s Association the BBC will be having no post-match interviews either!
What started as a knee-jerk reaction to the Tory government’s police state attacks on anyone who dissents from their narrative has turned into a horrendous problem for them as their flagship programme is literally all at sea.
The bravery of Lineker and the solidarity of fellow commentators compares to the scabby behaviour of Starmer (who has remained silent), Cooper and Thornberry. Meanwhile of course the useless Campaign Group, led by John McDonnell and Diane Abbot says nothing whatsoever so intimidated have they become.
See
Skwawkbox’s Labour u-turns and attacks Tories for attacking Lineker – after spending a day attacking him too
I have also sent in a complaint to the BBC.
Tony Greenstein
My Complaint to the BBC
It is staggering that the BBC has removed Gary Lineker from BBC’s Match of the Day for breaching impartiality guidelines. It demonstrates just how much the BBC is in the pockets of the Tory Government.
Did you sack Andrew Marr in 2003 for praising Tony Blair being right over the invasion of Iraq?
Did you sack Tory Laura Kuensberg for repeated bias against Jeremy Corbyn including staging shadow cabinet resignations on air?
Did you sack Andrew Neil for his bias over the fake Labour ‘antisemitism’ allegations?
Did you sack John Ware for his Islamaphobia. To quote Middle Eastern Eye:
‘Ware’s 2005 programme “A Question of Leadership” attracted over 600 complaints in just its first week after broadcast, most though not all of them, from Muslims protesting about its unusually hostile and one-sided nature.
One senior ex-Panorama journalist, described the programme as “the most disgusting Panorama that I have ever seen. The presenter was acting like a prosecuting attorney, not a journalist.” The Guardian’s Madeleine Bunting called the documentary “McCarthyite”.
Ware’s presenting of ‘Is Labour Antisemitic’ was one series of lies after another, all of which are unravelling.
The BBC is nothing more than the voice of the British Establishment. Riddled with Tories and other corrupt elements. You are anti-working class and always happy to give a voice to racists but you can’t stand having a principled anti-racist presenter like Gary Lineker. You are an utter disgrace.
Your complaints department is nothing more than a shock absorber. You are nothing more than the mouthpiece of the Tory Party and every passing racist.
You even silenced David Attenborough in case global warming ‘sceptics’ were put out.
It is time you were allowed to die off. You are worse than Sky and your competitors.
I want to know how it is that you can remove Gary Lineker and yet
