The outspoken social commentator Gary Lineker has hinted he will avoid being suspended by the BBC following his comments on the Government's controversial asylum policy.
The 62-year-old Match of the Day presenter caused outrage among some after he retweeted a Home Office video on its new Illegal Migration Bill, describing it as "beyond awful". Lineker referenced the type of language used in 1930s Germany during the build-up to the Second World War.
He said: "There is no huge influx [of refugees]. 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."
The legislation is highly controversial as the Government wants to detain migrants who enter the country via "illegal" routes without bail or judicial review and then deport them and block them from returning. The former England striker refused the delete the tweet, which sparked impartiality accusations as a BBC employee. It led to a meeting between Lineker and director-general Tim Davie.
According to an article in The Mirror online, Lineker suggested he would not be reprimanded and was "looking forward" to being on our screens on Saturday evening to present the popular football highlights show. He wrote on Twitter : "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 @BBCMOTD on Saturday.
"Thanks again for all your incredible support. It’s been overwhelming."
But the row between Lineker and the Government deepened when Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt used him as an analogy for Labour's position on the legislation during a bizarre rant on Thursday. Ms Mordaunt accused Labour of "borrowing from the Gary Lineker playbook" as it tried to jump on opportunities like a "goal hanger".
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She went on: "This country doesn't need goal hangers. It needs centre forwards. It needs people that put in the hard work, take tough decisions, grip a problem and work out how to solve it and create those opportunities — and that is what we are doing."
"And it needs a team captain who knows his own mind, has a plan and what colour his football shirt is." But in a nod to Labour soaring ahead in the polls, she added: "Labour might be up at half time but the second half is yet to be played."
Lineker replied to a video of Ms Mordaunt's comments in the chamber on her Twitter account, stating: "Thank you for mentioning me in your clumsy analogy. I’m just happy to have been better in the 6 yard box than you are at the dispatch box. Best wishes."
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