“Of course I stand by it,” says Gary Lineker about his Nazi comparison
“I will continue to try to speak up for these poor souls who have no voice,” Gary Lineker said
Quelle: Getty Images/James Gill – Danehouse
For his comparison of British refugee policy with Nazi Germany, football icon Gary Lineker not only reaps approval. Criticism continues to pour in from the British government camp. But BBC presenter Lineker wants to stay true to his line.
Dhe English football legend Gary Lineker does not regret his controversial comparison of British refugee policy with Nazi Germany and does not fear any consequences from his employer BBC. The 62-year-old football commentator from the British broadcaster confirmed this on Thursday in front of his house in an interview with TV reporters. He stands “of course” by his tweet, which caused a stir in Great Britain. When asked if he’s spoken to the BBC yet, Lineker said: “I speak to the BBC all the time.”
The former England international tweeted on Tuesday that the conservative British government’s new asylum law was “more than terrible”. When criticized that he was “out of order,” he replied: “This is an immeasurably cruel policy, directed against the most vulnerable people, in a language that is that of Germany in the 1930’s, and I’m not entirely out of my mind?”
The British government wants to first hold migrants who enter the country without official permission in shelters and then expel them to Rwanda or other countries. The right to apply for asylum should be taken away from them. The plans could violate the European Convention on Human Rights. Interior Minister Suella Braverman had spoken of an “invasion” in view of the increasing number of people entering the country via the English Channel.
“It seems to me that Gary Lineker can say whatever he wants”
Lineker was reprimanded by the BBC for his comments. The British government sharply criticized the football icon. “As someone whose grandmother fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, I find it really disappointing and inappropriate to compare the government’s policy on immigration issues with what happened in Germany in the 1930s,” said Culture Senator Lucy Frazer in the House of Commons.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Obviously it’s disappointing to see someone whose salary is funded by hard-working British fee-payers choosing such rhetoric.” And Energy Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: ” As a Jewish minister, he doesn’t need a lesson on Nazi Germany. Like Gary, I host refugees in my own home, but unlike Gary, I do not believe it is right or moral to tolerate criminal gangs bringing vulnerable people across the Channel.”
On the other hand, the ex-national player received support from TV presenter Piers Morgan, who had often had heated discussions with Lineker online, and from Sky News commentator Adam Boulton. “It seems to me that Gary Lineker can say whatever he wants,” Boulton tweeted: “He’s not a political reporter. It’s just like the BBC actors who often voice their point of view.”
Lineker had already emphasized on Wednesday that he wanted to stay with his line. “I have never received so much love and support in my life as I did this morning (other than my World Cup goals for England),” wrote the former England striker. “I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot to me. I will continue to try to speak up for these poor souls who have no voice.”
