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      Gary Lineker sends cheeky message to BBC with new Twitter profile picture

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      GARY Lineker has made a dig at the BBC with his cheeky new Twitter profile picture just days after a row over his tweets.The former footballer appears to have fired a shot at the broadcaster as he poses up in front of a George Orwell quote outside the London headquarters.
      Gary Lineker made a dig at the BBC with his new Twitter profile pictureCredit: Twitter
      The presenter sparked rows after he criticised Suella Braverman’s small boats planCredit: Getty
      The words, written next to a statue of the 1984 author, read: “If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
      It comes as the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, on £1.35million a year, had been suspended from his Match of the Day presenting duties, following a tweet criticising Suella Braverman’s migrant boats plan.
      Lineker took to Twitter to hit out at the Illegal Migration Bill, which bans people who arrive on small boats from settling in Britain.
      He wrote: “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?”

      Lineker’s words were considered in breach of the BBC’s strict impartiality rules which state that staff must avoid taking sides on political controversies and remain impartial.
      In a statement, the BBC previously said it had “decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.”
      Lineker’s co-hosts on Match of The Day, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer also stepped back from the show in support if their colleague.
      Wright tweeted: “Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.”
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      Alan Shearer quickly followed suit and said: “I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night.”
      Alex Scott, Jermaine Jenas, Micah Richards and Mark Chapman also banded together in support of Lineker, meaning Match of the Day went ahead without a presenter, pundits or commentary on the broadcast.
      It meant Match Of The Day ran for just 20 minutes on Saturday – without commentary or even the iconic theme tune.
      Disruption caused by the sudden staff uprising also saw Football Focus, Final Score, the Fighting Talk podcast and 5Live’s 606 football phone in cancelled.
      And Match Of The Day 2 ran for just 14 minutes, again with no commentary or presenters.
      However, Lineker’s return was announced on Monday as he agreed to abide by existing guidelines and welcomed a new independent review into BBC stars’ use of social media.
      But, it remains up in the air how strict any new regulations will be and how long the process will take.
      Lineker said: “I am glad we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”
      The commentator also broke his Twitter silence to double-down on his remarks after what he branded a “surreal few days”.
      He said: “I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost 3 decades and am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world.
      “I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday.”
      Under-fire BBC chief Tim Davie, previously said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance is recognised.
      “The BBC has a commitment to impartiality and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act where people are subject to different contracts and on-air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles.”
      The TV regulator’s CEO Melanie Dawes told MPs its rules around staff tweeting were too ambiguous.
      Ms Dawes told the Commons Culture Committee it needed to establish “a level of trust about what they require of the people who work for them”.
      She said: “This goes straight to the heart of the BBC’s wider reputation beyond their news and current affairs coverage.
      “They need to look at the guidelines and see whether they’re still right.”
      Lineker’s failure to apologise over the row has attracted criticism.
      Tory MP Tom Hunt said: “There has been no apology from Lineker for the grossly offensive remarks he made that would have offended millions of people who are forced to make a contribution to his salary.
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      “We can’t allow ‘freelancers’ who are paid millions by the taxpayer and are widely perceived to be BBC employees to act with impunity when it comes to impartiality rules.
      “Even before this there was growing momentum and support from the public for abolishing the licence fee. This will only boost that.”
      Lineker broke his silence and said ‘I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday’Credit: Getty More

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      BBC bosses accused of ‘pathetic capitulation’ after letting Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker back on air without apology

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      BBC bosses were accused of “pathetic capitulation” last night after letting Gary Lineker back on air without any apology or punishment over his migrant tweet.In an astonishing surrender, Director-general Tim Davie said the star will return to Match of the Day this Saturday.
      BBC bosses have let Gary Lineker back on air without any apology or punishmentCredit: Reuters
      Lineker with footie ace Ian Wright and Alan Shearer on the set of MOTDCredit: BBC
      Director-general Tim Davie said the TV pundit will return to Match of the Day this SaturdayCredit: Ruckas
      And, while Lineker has not said sorry for comparing the language used about Channel migrants to that in Nazi Germany, Mr Davie announced that he personally was sorry for the resulting chaos.
      In a new series of tweets, former Spurs and England striker Lineker seemed unrepentant and thanked his supporters.
      Meanwhile No10 refused to say it has confidence in Mr Davie — and Tory MPs called for the licence fee to now be axed.
      Backbencher Philip Davies piled in: “This pathetic capitulation by the BBC is the start of the end for the licence fee.”
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      Tom Hunt, deputy chair of the Conservative Common Sense Group, told The Sun: “There has been no apology from Lineker for the grossly offensive remarks he made that would have offended millions of people who are forced to make a contribution to his salary.”
      And ex-Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “The issue is that the BBC is the state broadcaster and that it’s funded by a tax. If it weren’t, then we wouldn’t need to worry about its impartiality.”
      Mr Davie sought to package the agreement with Lineker as a compromise, which would bring an end to days of disrupted coverage on BBC sport.
      A new independent review into BBC stars’ use of social media was announced.
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      But it remains unclear how strict any new regulations imposed by the review will be — or even how long that process will take.
      A BBC source said: “This is a short term solution to dampen the flames. Both sides agreed things were getting out of hand.
      “But the problem hasn’t gone away by any means. It’s just been kicked into longer grass
      “Clearly the rules need addressing, tightening and perhaps more strictly enforcing — but that’s all for the independent panel to decide.
      “Whether presenters like Gary choose to agree to the new rules is a different matter.”
      Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter on £1.35million a year, has agreed to abide by existing guidelines and welcomed the review.
      He said: “I am glad we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”
      After the statement was released, Lineker tweeted his thanks to colleagues after a “surreal few days”.
      Pundits, led by Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, refused to appear on Match of the Day while Lineker was suspended.
      Commentators joined in, plunging BBC Sport’s coverage into chaos.
      Lineker added that “however difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away”.
      Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance is recognised.
      Read More on The Sun
      “The BBC has a commitment to impartiality and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act where people are subject to different contracts and on-air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles.”
      PM Rishi Sunak was “glad” the issue had been resolved and “looked forward to watching Match Of The Day back on our TV screens”.
      Gary Lineker has not said sorry for comparing the language used about Channel migrants to that in Nazi GermanyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Lineker continues to have his say on Twitter after the BBC announced his return More

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      BBC to make statement on Gary Lineker’s Match of the Day future TODAY after he broke impartiality rules

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      THE BBC will make an announcement on Gary Lineker’s future today following an impartiality row over his inflammatory migrant tweets.Crunch talks are being held after a weekend of chaos saw schedules changed last-minute and a different format for Match Of The Day.
      Gary Lineker will learn his BBC fate todayCredit: Pixel8000
      The Sun revealed today how Lineker, 62, is set to host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage this weekend.
      A statement is expected to be released today confirming the next steps.
      It is believed Lineker will agree to be more careful about what he tweets in the future, while the BBC will likely review its social media guidelines.
      But his potential return could spark a new row between the broadcaster and Tory party if the £1.35million-a-year star fails to apologise.
      Read more on the row
      The mayhem erupted after Lineker criticised Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s small boats plan.
      The legislation will see migrants swiftly detained and removed to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
      Sharing the clip, Lineker said: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
      Responding to another user who described him as “out of order”, he added: “We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
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      “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?”
      Lineker was accused by the BBC of breaking their strict impartiality rules that state staff must “avoid taking sides on political controversies” and “take care when addressing public policy matters”.
      The BBC said the pundit’s comments were a “breach of our guidelines”.
      Ms Braverman later branded the controversial remarks as “offensive”.
      She added: “To kind of throw out those kind of flippant analogies diminishes the unspeakable tragedy that millions of people went through…
      “And I don’t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust.”
      The broadcaster revealed on Friday he had been suspended and would not host Saturday’s Match Of The Day – sparking a mutiny among his co-stars.
      Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas, Alex Scott, Mark Chapman and Micah Richards refused to fill in, plunging the football analysis show into crisis.
      Saturday’s night show then aired with a stripped-back, 20 minute version that did not even feature the iconic theme tune.
      Football Focus, Final Score, the Fighting Talk podcast and 5Live’s 606 football phone in were all canned as schedules were sent spiralling.
      And last night’s Match Of The Day 2 ran for just 14 minutes, again with no commentary or presenters.
      Director General Tim Davie told the BBC on Saturday he would “absolutely not” quit amid the fallout.
      Asked if he was sorry about the way he handled the row, he added: “We made decisions and I made decisions based on a real passion about what the BBC is and it’s difficult.”
      But a potential decision to review the BBC’s social media guidelines could prove an own goal for Mr Davie as they were written at his request to include the “Lineker Clause”.
      This stated higher-profile presenters had an extra responsibility to avoid taking sides on political issues.
      Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waded into the row on Saturday, saying the Lineker’s suspension is “rightly a matter” for the BBC, not him or Government.
      He added that while he respected “not everyone will always agree” with Government policies, he praised the pundit for being a “great footballer and talented presenter”.
      Read More on The Sun
      The pundit sparked a mutiny when he was suspended by the BBCCredit: LNP
      Lineker has presented Match Of The Day since 1999Credit: BBC
      The BBC accused the ex-footballer of breaking impartiality rulesCredit: Alamy More