BBC threatens to remove stars from social media

Tim Davie has this month taken on the role of BBC director-general in spectacular fashion, announcing plans today for auntie to be given the authority to strip its stars of their Twitter accounts if they breach impartiality guidelines.

This will no doubt come as a shock to some. Gary Lineker, a staunch Boris Johnson critic, has been regularly chastised for voicing political beliefs on Twitter, which he also uses to promote his work on the BBC. Mr Davie, told the House of Commons Culture Committee today: ‘In my view party political statements are not the right thing for people to be making if they are part of an impartial news organisation.’

There has been something of a minor outcry in response, with some claiming this move could infringe on freedom of speech, something the government has been keen to champion in other areas like schools and universities. One wonders what any potential new chairman of BBC might make of highly paid luvvies mouthing off online…