Suella Braverman today condemned Gary Lineker’s controversial comparison of the Government’s migrant crackdown to Nazi Germany. The Match of the Day host has sparked fury from Tory MPs and calls for the BBC to sack him after taking to Twitter to hit out at new laws to tackle small boats crossing the Channel.
The Home Secretary this morning blasted Mr Lineker’s “unhelpful” intervention.
Ms Braverman told BBC Breakfast: “I’m disappointed obviously. I think it’s unhelpful to compare our measures which are lawful, proportionate and compassionate to 1930s Germany.
“I also think we’re on the side of the British people here. It’s plain to see they’ve had enough.”
Mr Lineker yesterday commented on a Twitter video put out by the Home Secretary on plans to stop rubber dinghies crossing the English Channel.
He told his 8.6 million followers: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
And in a reply to another Twitter user who accused him of being “out of order”, the former footballer said: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.]
“This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”
His comments were widely condemned by Tory MPs, who urged the BBC to take action.
Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson told the Express: “Once again this taxpayer-funded virtue-signalling out-of-touch multi-millionaire ex-footballer pipes up to show how totally out of touch he is with the rest of the British public.
“I would politely suggest that he needs to go and get some fresh air before he tweets again.”
South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay branded the comments a “step too far” and urged the BBC to sack Mr Lineker.
Former minister Jonathan Gullis: “It is the same old boring Gary, using the same old lazy tropes that anyone who wants control of our borders is a ‘racist’ and ‘fascist’.
“Let’s see if the BBC will stand up to their multi-million pound whining baby and remind him his job is to talk football, not politics.”
Red Wall MP Brendan Clarke-Smith added: “This country has a long and proud record of taking in refugees, most recently from Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
“It’s not just insulting to this nation and the generosity of Brits, but also grossly offensive to the victims of one of the most evil regimes in history, which we also fought against and took many refugees from.
“Lineker is out of order and needs to get out of his metropolitan bubble and learn some perspective. People are sick and tired of being accused of racism for simply wanting to see a fair and proportionate asylum system.”
A BBC source told the Telegraph: “Gary will be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities on social media.”
A spokesperson for the corporation said: “The BBC has social media guidance, which is published.
“Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media. We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.”
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