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BBC BACKS GARY
Gary Lineker will NOT face any disciplinary action from BBC after comparing UK migrant policy to 1930s Germany
THE BBC today BACKED Gary Lineker over tweets comparing language around the government's new anti-small boats plan to 1930s Germany.
Bosses at the broadcaster spoke to the Match of the Day presenter and decided he won't be sacked or face any disciplinary action.
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A BBC source said: "We have spoken to Gary and he won't face any disciplinary action.
"From our perspective the situation has been resolved now and we want him to get back to what he's best at, which is being a brilliant sports presenter."
Mr Lineker said: "Well, it’s been an interesting couple of days. Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting Match of the Day on Saturday.
"Thanks again for all your incredible support. It’s been overwhelming."
Tory MPs described being "in shock" at the BBC's decision, with some even vowing to fight it.
Red Wall MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said: “Whilst the elderly lost their free licence, the BBC have now given Gary Lineker a different sort of free license. One that allows him to say what he wants, when he wants and without fear of sanction.
";Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but as a public service broadcaster you would expect the BBC to hold him to the same standards they would expect from other members of their staff, who would not get away with such appalling comparisons."
He added: "They could have used this as an opportunity to make their position clear. Instead they have bottled it”
Mr Lineker declared this morning he stands by his tweets hitting out at Rishi Sunak's crackdown on illegal migration.
Outside his London home, the the defiant presenter told reporters he isn't scared of being sacked for expressing political views.
Over the past 48 hours BBC chiefs had scrambled to get Mr Lineker to tone down his Twitter account.
Yesterday, the presenter was warned he'd be "spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities".
But instead he doubled down, saying: "I’m sticking to politics."
He thanked fans for backing him in the face of furious backlash.
"I have never known such love and support in my life than I’m getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly).
"I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot. I’ll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice. Cheers all."
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It comes as this morning Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer warned: "The BBC has a ten-point plan in relation to impartiality.
"It is absolutely important that it maintains impartiality so that the public retains trust in it."
Mr Lineker sparked major backlash this week when he took to Twitter to hit out at the Illegal Migration Bill, which bans migrants who arrive on small boats from ever settling in Britain.
The legislation will see migrants swiftly detained and removed to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
But the bill faces an uphill battle against human rights groups and campaigners who argue it clashes with the European Convention on Human Right.
The government is expected to be taken to court over the legislation - but ministers vow they're "up for the fight".
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has repeatedly insisted the plan does not break the law, and said the country's top legal minds have worked day and night to ensure it's feasible.
Mr Lineker tweeted: "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.
"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?"
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Politicians have lined up to slam Mr Lineker, who is on a taxpayer-funded salary of £1,350,000.
In the Commons, DUP MP Gregory Campbell called for "lefty Lineker" to have his pay docked.
He said: "Will the Culture Secretary meet again with the director general to ensure that the BBC reviews the contracts of well-known multimillionaire lefty Lineker?"
While his career was still hanging in the balance, asked by reporters "do you stand by what you said in your tweet?", Mr Lineker said "course".
And asked "do you fear getting suspended?", the ex-footballer said "no."
As a sports presenter Mr Lineker isn't bound by strict BBC social media rules in the same way news reporters are.
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But he's been accused by Tory MPs of frequently pushing boundaries of BBC impartiality guidelines.
Previously, the broadcaster's complaints team found the ex-footballer guilty of breaking impartiality rules in a tweet asking if the Tories planned to "hand back their donations from Russian donors".
This morning ex-BBC chief Richard Ayre warned bosses might need to "let Lineker go unless he can be certain that this is the end of it".
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Mr Ayre described the footie pundit as "one of the BBC's crown jewels".
But he added: "Just as you can't have sundry members of the House of Windsor slagging off the government of the day because it would call the role of the King into question, you can't have a member of the BBC royal family comparing Suella Braverman to the Third Reich."
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