BBC reinstates Gary Lineker, presenter suspended for criticizing UK migration policy – ​​Liberation

The outcry will have moved the “Beeb”. The BBC announces this Monday morning to reinstate star presenter Gary Lineker, who was retired last week after taking a stand on the Conservative government’s migration policy. The host will return to the air next weekend. “Gary is an important part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to him, and I look forward to him presenting our show next weekend”BBC director-general Tim Davie said in a statement on Monday.

After the presentation of a bill against illegal immigration, described by the UN as putting an end to the right of asylum, the former footballer Gary Lieneker was quick to react on Twitter. He denounced a “policy of immeasurable cruelty towards the vulnerable” and pointed out that the “language” used by the government was “similar to that of Germany in the 1930s”.

The tweet quickly gained momentum and sparked debate. The conservative tabloids denounced these “nazi comments” and saluted the presenter’s aerial suspension. In contrast, other political figures railed against the BBC’s response. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, for example, criticized a “indefensible position” of the broadcaster who “endangers freedom of expression in the face of political pressure”. Other BBC sports consultants, such as Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, rallied behind their colleague and refused to appear on the air to comment on weekend football matches. They too should return to the small skylight on the next day of the Premier League.