Gary Lineker: A stand-off with no clear exit strategy

It can't person been what the BBC intended.

One of its astir celebrated and champion loved presenters has been taken disconnected aerial - and it appears to beryllium successful the midst of a stand-off with nary wide exit strategy for either side.

Saturday's variation of the BBC's hugely fashionable flagship shot programme Match of the Day is present without a presenter oregon pundits.

Sticking to its guns connected impartiality has travel astatine a precocious terms for the corp and opened up caller faultlines successful the process.

First up, Match of the Day which saw its star-studded presenting and commentating formed of athletics royalty driblet retired successful speedy succession oregon asseverate that they would not look connected acceptable - successful solidarity with Gary Lineker.

In scenes much reminiscent of the 1960s epic movie Spartacus than a shot highlights show, presenters and pundits are lasting with Gary Lineker, efficaciously declaring "I'm Spartacus".

Ian Wright and Alan Shearer began the exodus from the amusement this weekend, with Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards besides posting that, if they'd been owed to beryllium connected the show, they excessively would person said no.

Alex Scott has besides tweeted, heavy implying she would not contiguous the programme successful Gary Lineker's place.

Now, MOTD person said it volition broadcast a amusement focused connected highlights - and without the diagnostic punditry it's an unenviable presumption to beryllium in.

Who could person predicted that the government's asylum policies and the connection astir them, truthful robustly criticised by Gary Lineker successful his tweets, would extremity up reducing the BBC's astir fashionable shot amusement to this?

Impartiality is astatine the bosom of Director General Tim Davie's strategy for the corporation, arsenic helium has declared galore times.

Some reason that was a absorption to unit from the Conservative government.

But determination is nary uncertainty Mr Davie has ever insisted helium genuinely believes successful impartiality arsenic a mode to guarantee the BBC, funded by licence interest payers, is for everyone.

Staff and connected aerial endowment are asked to permission their opinions astatine the beforehand door. But determination is immoderate nuance successful that.

In its connection today, the BBC said: "We've ne'er said Gary should beryllium an sentiment escaped zone."

Gary Lineker, is simply a sports presenter not a governmental presenter oregon quality journalist. But the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit has antecedently ruled that, though the prima is not required to uphold the aforesaid impartiality standards arsenic BBC journalists, helium has an "additional responsibility" due to the fact that of his profile.

"We expect these individuals to debar taking sides connected enactment governmental issues oregon governmental controversies and to instrumentality attraction erstwhile addressing nationalist argumentation matters," the ruling said.

By deciding Gary Lineker's "recent societal media enactment to beryllium a breach of our guidelines" and deciding to instrumentality him disconnected air, the BBC has, though, opened itself up to criticisms that it's connected the incorrect broadside of escaped code arguments.

So connected apical of the destiny of Match of the Day, that's different headache.

Are we truly saying, reason the critics, that idiosyncratic who isn't a quality writer but appears connected the BBC successful different capacity, can't tweet their views astir authorities successful a idiosyncratic capacity? Where volition it end, they ask?

Can a gameshow big not person an sentiment connected a authorities policy? Or an histrion who's intimately linked to a precocious illustration BBC drama? A comedian?

Even much ominously, they inquire is this really lone astir radical whose views diverge from those of the authorities of the day?

And portion the BBC's escaped code credentials are nether scrutiny, the BBC is besides being accused of treble standards, of caving successful to governmental unit astatine a clip erstwhile its ain Conservative-linked president remains successful post.

Richard Sharp has been nether unit for his relation successful facilitating a indebtedness statement for Boris Johnson erstwhile helium was Prime Minister and not declaring it arsenic a imaginable struggle of involvement successful assignment process erstwhile helium was nether information for to beryllium Chairman of the BBC.

Mr Sharp has antecedently admitted the matter had embarrassed the BBC but insisted helium had "acted successful bully religion to guarantee that the rules were followed".

The Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell has specifically linked the 2 cases saying "the aforesaid cries of impartiality were wholly absent erstwhile the BBC Chair failed to disclose aspects of his adjacent relationship with the past PM".

The BBC is justified successful arguing that it has nary accidental successful the lawsuit of the BBC chair. Mr Sharp is simply a governmental appointment, whose assignment is present being investigated by the commissioner for nationalist appointments.

But perceptions matter. And the BBC is accused by 1 broadside of coming down heavy connected Gary Lineker for his anti-government rhetoric, portion seemingly having a seat successful station who is mired successful a enactment and has fixed wealth to the Conservatives successful the past.

One antagonistic statement is that Richard Sharp, arsenic a Board member, isn't progressive successful editorial matters.

Plenty would say, though, neither is Gary Lineker. He has nary editorial accidental connected aerial astir politics. Sport is his happening - and arsenic a sports presenter, the BBC contiguous called him "second to none".

But nary longer - this play anyhow - for the BBC.