Sunak defends small boats plan as Match of the Day is cut to silent 20 minutes amid Lineker row
11 March 2023, 10:12 | Updated: 11 March 2023, 19:04
Rishi Sunak has insisted his crackdown on Channel migrants is the right thing to do as Gary Lineker's suspension forced Match of the Day to be a silent 20-minute programme.
The prime minister told reporters tonight: "I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree.
"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the Government."
Jeremy Hunt urged Lineker to U-turn on his comments, saying it was "deeply regrettable" that the ex-England striker had not yet apologised.
The chancellor also told the Mail On Sunday: "That was a completely inappropriate thing to say for a country that has opened its arms."
A government source told the newspaper: "For millionaire TV presenters to patronise the British people and tell them what they should care about is a real insult."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Lineker's bosses of "not acting impartially" and "caving into Tory MPs" by forcing him to step back from the weekly highlights show.
It came as BBC director general Tim Davie apologised for the disruption caused by Lineker's suspension, which preceded a series of walkouts by BBC Sport staff, pundits and presenters.
Davie told BBC News: "As a keen sports fan I know to miss programming is a real blow and I’m sorry about that. We are working very hard to resolve this situation and make sure we get output on air."
Programmes including Football Focus, Final Score and Fighting Talk did not air after a flurry of presenters and pundits pulled out in solidarity with suspended Gary Lineker.
The England striker and lead Match of the Day presenter was pictured smiling as he watched Leicester host Chelsea at the King Power Stadium.
Pundits Alex Scott and Final Score host Jason Mohammad pulled out on Saturday morning after Lineker was taken from the air over tweets criticising the government's latest migrants policy.
Other programmes were also thrown into doubt, with no live football radio programming for much of Saturday.
Sunday's Match of the Day 2 is also set to be axed as presenters, pundits and commentators said they would not take part while Lineker was off air.
Former England striker Jermaine Defoe, who was booked to appear on the programme, tweeted on Saturday afternoon: "It's always such a privilege to work with BBC MOTD. But tomorrow I have taken the decision to stand down from my punditry duties."
Ms Scott said on Saturday: "I made a decision last night that even though I love my show and we have had an incredible week winning an SJA for football focus that it doesn’t feel right for me to go ahead with the show today..
"Hopefully I will be back in the chair next week…."
Mohammad added: "As you know, Final Score is a TV show very close to my heart. However - I have this morning informed the BBC that I will not be presenting the show this afternoon on BBC One."
That means the shows will not be broadcast this week. Football Focus was replaced by Bargain Hunt in the schedules.
Live football broadcasting on the BBC radio has been replaced with repeats of pre-recorded material. Mainstays including Dion Dublin and Colin Murray have said they will not be appearing this weekend.
Match of the Day itself will go ahead on Saturday without a presenter, pundits, or commentators after the suspension of main host Gary Lineker sparked a series of walkouts. But Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night may not go ahead, with reports that presenter Mark Chapman will not be hosting.
Opposition politicians have lined up to criticise the corporation for the choice to withdraw Lineker from the air.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told LBC Lineker had the "perfect right" to express his opinions and called for him to be reinstated.
His successor Keir Starmer also took aim at the government. He told reporters: "What they should be doing is standing up, accepting they've broken the asylum system, and telling us what they're going to do to actually fix it, not whingeing on about Gary Lineker.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the sage showed the broadcaster needed "to urgently protect its independence.
"We need leadership that can uphold British values and withstand Conservative attacks," he added.
On Friday it was announced that Lineker had been taken off Match of the Day until an agreement is reached over his social media use, after he criticised the government in a series of tweets earlier in the week, comparing language used to launch new government asylum policy with "that used by Germany in the 30s".
A BBC spokesperson said earlier Lineker had been asked to "step back" until there is "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".
But a source close to Lineker said he had not agreed to "step back" and was instead removed as he is "unwilling to apologise for his comments" on the government's controversial asylum policy.
Andrew Castle: Gary Lineker agreed his tweet was 'a step too far'
Following his suspension, MOTD pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright announced they wouldn't be appearing on Saturday's programme in solidarity with the presenter, with Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman also reportedly ruling himself out.
Regular pundits Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards said though they weren't scheduled to appear, they would have sat out Saturday's show if they had been asked.
A BBC spokesperson said: "Some of our pundits have said that they don't wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary.
"We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry."
BBC commentators have since announced they won't take part either.
In a statement released on Twitter, the six commentators set to cover Saturday's games said: "As commentators on MOTD, we have decided to step down from tomorrow night's broadcast.
"We know that football fans want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use world feed commentary if they wish.
"However, in the circumstances we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme."
The row was sparked by Lineker's response on Twitter to a Home Office video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled the government's plans to stop migrants crossing the Channel on small boats.
Emily Sheffield concerned that Gary Lineker lose his job amongst impartiality row
The ex-England striker wrote: "There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
"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."
Jeremy Corbyn told LBC on Friday that the debate over Gary Lineker was a sideshow that was distracting attention from the government's "disgraceful" plan to tackle migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.
Mr Corbyn told LBC's Matt Frei on Saturday: "[Lineker's] got a perfect right to express an opinion even within the BBC's own code. They are allowed to express opinions... of a partisan nature, providing it doesn't impinge on their area of work. His area is sport.
Jeremy Corbyn expresses support for Gary Lineker
"Others, Alan Sugar and many others, have made the most partisan comments in the past... against me particularly. I remember it very, very well and absolutely nothing was done despite complaints being made to the BBC.
"They've sort of come down like a ton of bricks on Gary Lineker, and whilst I support what Gary said, and I think he's a decent human being in the way he's put it and said it, unfortunately the whole debate now is shifting on to Gary and the BBC and ignoring the issue of this, I think, disgraceful piece of legislation that Parliament's about to debate on Monday."
He added that he thought Lineker should be reinstated, and that the decision to pull him from the air was "extremely damaging" for the broadcaster.
