The worst thing about Gary Lineker’s intervention in the small boats discussion is not whether he broke BBC rules on impartiality. It’s not that he has, once again, used his privileged platform – one largely funded by us! – to spout dinner-party platitudes about the evil Tories. No, it was his political use and abuse of the crimes of history, his marshalling of the evils of Nazi Germany to score some political points against the Conservative government. It amazes me that people like Lineker cannot seem to see how immoral and even dangerous such tactics can be.
The Match of the Day host turned tiresome virtue-signaller kicked off about Suella Braverman on Twitter yesterday. In response to a video message posted by Braverman, in which she outlined the government’s new policy for halting Channel crossings by illegal immigrants, Lineker wrote:
‘Good heavens, this is beyond awful’
When confronted by another Twitter user, who told Lineker he was ‘out of order’, Lineker said:
‘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?’
And there it was, the kneejerk Nazi comparison, the Rik-from-The-Young-Ones gambit of essentially yelling ‘FASCIST’ at everyone you dislike or disagree with.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in