Gary Lineker has suggested that Brexit has “broken Britain” as he and Nigel Farage clash on Twitter. The leading Brexiteer who played a big role in securing the UK’s vote to leave the EU in 2006 posted on his Twitter on Thursday: “Britain is broken.”
In response, BBC Match of the Day host Mr Lineker tweeted back: “You played an important part” accompanied by some sarcastic clapping emojis.
Mr Farage’s tweet appeared to be referring to the multiple challenges that the UK is facing at this time.
Strike action is taking place across a number of industries and public services, including the healthcare system, the railways and the postal service.
Following the war in Ukraine, Britian is also one of many countries around the globe suffering from the economic shock Vladimir Putin’s aggression has caused. Inflation remains above 10 percent and many fear the UK is headed for its longest recession.
But Mr Lineker, a vocal Remainer since 2016, has suggested that Brexit is also contributing to the UK’s problems.
The former England striker and Match of the Day star has caused controversy with his political commentary. Some feel that a BBC host should not be sharing their opinions in the way that he does online.
In October, Mr Lineker was found to have breached the BBC’s own impartiality guidelines for a tweet he posted in February about the Conservative party taking money from Russian donors.
Foreign Secretary at the time, Liz Truss, has said that Premier League clubs should boycott the Champions League final, which was at the time scheduled to take place in St Petersburg.
Mr Lineker then tweeted: “And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?”
Mr Lineker was found to have breached the impartiality guidance because he went out of his way to “highlight a perceived inconsistency in the Conservative party’s approach, at a time when relations between the UK and Russia were the subject of significant public debate”, the BBC’s complaints department said.
In an interview with the New Statesman in October, Mr Lineker discussed his political views.
He said that Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, won’t stop him from discussing political issues.
Mr Lineker said: “I don’t think he’ll ever stop me talking about politics. I don’t think he wants to stop me talking about politics, either. But obviously I have to tread carefully, which I always try to do.”
