BBC sports commentator Gary Lineker was suspended after publishing tweets criticizing the U.K. government’s new policies on migrants.
LONDON—The British Broadcasting Corp. has sparked one of its biggest crises in years by suspending its top sports commentator for criticizing the U.K. government on Twitter, leading to a staff rebellion and allegations that the state-funded broadcaster had compromised its independence by folding to government pressure.
The venerable broadcaster yanked Gary Lineker, one of England’s most famous former football players and its highest paid presenter, from the country’s most watched football roundup show after he published tweets criticizing the government’s new policies on migrants, comparing them to Nazi Germany. The BBC said it considered Mr. Lineker’s “recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines” and said he “should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.”
BBC Staff Revolts Over Suspension of Sports Commentator for Political Tweets
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