UK General Discussion: Rishecession

[TheTide]

Gary Lineker given the chop apparently, at least for the time being.

[JimJamUK]

WTAF was Fiona Bruce up to regarding Stanley Johnson in last night's Question Time?

Fixed that for you.

[JimJamUK]

Gary Lineker given the chop apparently, at least for the time being.

The other presenters are saying they won’t appear in protest, and it does seem to be getting a lot of attention. Haven’t seen much criticism from the usual ‘free speech brigade’ though, presumably because Lineker holds the wrong sort of opinions.

[Blair]

I don’t think the BBC realise how quickly they’re burning their political capital for people who never liked them to begin with.

[MayorCarcetti]

Gary Lineker given the chop apparently, at least for the time being.

The other presenters are saying they won’t appear in protest, and it does seem to be getting a lot of attention. Haven’t seen much criticism from the usual ‘free speech brigade’ though, presumably because Lineker holds the wrong sort of opinions.

Morgan tbf is supporting him, he is a close friend of Gary's though so that probably helps.

[afleitch]

And an episode of David Attenborough's latest and probably last nature documentary cut from broadcast too. Because 'rewilding' annoys conservatives.

[JimJamUK]

The other presenters are saying they won’t appear in protest, and it does seem to be getting a lot of attention. Haven’t seen much criticism from the usual ‘free speech brigade’ though, presumably because Lineker holds the wrong sort of opinions.

Morgan tbf is supporting him, he is a close friend of Gary's though so that probably helps.

I was thinking more of political commentators rather than celebrities (Jeremy Clarkson is also backing him).

[MayorCarcetti]

The other presenters are saying they won’t appear in protest, and it does seem to be getting a lot of attention. Haven’t seen much criticism from the usual ‘free speech brigade’ though, presumably because Lineker holds the wrong sort of opinions.

Morgan tbf is supporting him, he is a close friend of Gary's though so that probably helps.

I was thinking more of political commentators rather than celebrities (Jeremy Clarkson is also backing him).

People might be surprised by Clarkson but as someone who's followed him for years (having been raised on a diet of Top Gear), it doesn't surprise me - he often mocked the BBC impartiality rules (if you watch the full infamous 'shot in front of their families line', he prefaces it saying 'we have to provide balance because this is the BBC', and he's written articles that have been pretty sympathetic towards refugees. Man of many contradictions is Jezza

[Conservatopia]

Gary Lineker is a complete moron whose opinions are uniformly trash but he absolutely has the right to say what he wants because he is a freelancer not an employee. Even if he wasn't he should still be allowed to run his mouth.

The right should bash him for his dumb comments but calling for his sacking is equally stupid.

Mock him, don't silence him.

The reality is of course that the reason this is happening is because it's within the interests of the Tories to keep small boats in the news and look tough by standing up to "liberal elite". And to be fair, it's working.

But it's still stupid.

[Zinneke]

Gary Lineker is a complete moron whose opinions are uniformly trash but he absolutely has the right to say what he wants because he is a freelancer not an employee. Even if he wasn't he should still be allowed to run his mouth.

The right should bash him for his dumb comments but calling for his sacking is equally stupid.

Mock him, don't silence him.

The reality is of course that the reason this is happening is because it's within the interests of the Tories to keep small boats in the news and look tough by standing up to "liberal elite". And to be fair, it's working.

But it's still stupid.

I'm also critical of Liniker in the sense that he is a milktoast liberal but I don't think he is a moron and I do think he actually believes in common decency, while any evangelical stooge of the Tories who votes for those scum doesn't.

[GoTfan]

Gary Lineker is a complete moron whose opinions are uniformly trash but he absolutely has the right to say what he wants because he is a freelancer not an employee. Even if he wasn't he should still be allowed to run his mouth.

The right should bash him for his dumb comments but calling for his sacking is equally stupid.

Mock him, don't silence him.

The reality is of course that the reason this is happening is because it's within the interests of the Tories to keep small boats in the news and look tough by standing up to "liberal elite". And to be fair, it's working.

But it's still stupid.

Denying people access to slavery protections certainly doesn't make the comparison a terrible one, I have to say.

[Lord Halifax]

milktoast liberal

it's milquetoast liberal after the character Caspar Milquetoast from the comic strip "The Timid Soul" by Harold Tucker Webster (first published in 1924) which made milquetoast slang for a meek or timid person. Webster described Milquetoast as "a man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick" unfortunately that doesn't really apply to milquetoast liberals.

[GoTfan]

And now the BBC is deciding to suspend an episode from David Attenborough because they're worried about conservative backlash.

[Torrain]

Not entirely clear what the Attenborough situation is. Both the BBC and the filmakers involved suggest the situation has been misrepresented:

In a statement provided after the story was first published, the BBC said: “This is totally inaccurate, there is no ‘sixth episode’. Wild Isles is – and always was – a five part series and does not shy away from environmental content. We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.”

Alastair Fothergill, the director of Silverback Films and the executive producer of Wild Isles, added: “The BBC commissioned a five-part Wild Isles series from us at Silverback Films back in 2017. The RSPB and WWF joined us as co-production partners in 2018. It was not until the end of 2021 that the two charities commissioned Silverback Films to make a film for them that celebrates the extraordinary work of people fighting to restore nature in Britain and Ireland. The BBC acquired this film for iPlayer at the start of this year.”

I'm not saying this isn't spin. But it's possible this situation is being conflated with the Lineker debacle.

[Blair]

It did seem strange considering that a lot of the BBCs other environmental & rural programs have been quite political for the last 3-4 years- Countryfile specifically around farming issues.

[Silent Hunter]

People might be surprised by Clarkson but as someone who's followed him for years (having been raised on a diet of Top Gear), it doesn't surprise me - he often mocked the BBC impartiality rules (if you watch the full infamous 'shot in front of their families line', he prefaces it saying 'we have to provide balance because this is the BBC', and he's written articles that have been pretty sympathetic towards refugees. Man of many contradictions is Jezza

He was also a Remainer; as an extensively-travelled man who also had to import a lot of cars, being in the EU made that a lot easier.

[Coldstream]

Lineker may be the British equivalent of #resistance liberals in the US, and his politics are superficial & sophomoric…

But the BBC have behaved shamefully here; the corporation that used the world service to broadcast messages of defiance against the Nazis, that’s been banned in Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe etc is cowering in the face of the bruised egos of the Tory government. It’s pathetic, disgraceful and heads need to roll starting with Sharpe & Bruce.

[afleitch]

Lineker may be the British equivalent of #resistance liberals in the US, and his politics are superficial & sophomoric…

But the BBC have behaved shamefully here; the corporation that used the world service to broadcast messages of defiance against the Nazis, that’s been banned in Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe etc is cowering in the face of the bruised egos of the Tory government. It’s pathetic, disgraceful and heads need to roll starting with Sharpe & Bruce.

Yeah. He's very popular amongst colleagues and other journos. More than that, the public tend to have more engagement with sports than news, so the audience reach of this saga is broader.

It also shines a helpful light on the right wing 'cancellation' free speech grift given the silence of a lot of the major actors or agreement with the suspension. Interesting to see the contortion and the backlash.

[Zinneke]

The Anglo-Saxon Conservative Right were always about restricting free speech while claiming to defend it. The idea that some "woke" students or a BBC sports presenter are the establishment and that they haven't been in power for years was the narrative required to force their agenda on every platform and cancel any left-wing voices. What DeSantis is doing in Florida now is the intellectual equivalent of book burning. A US General put it best when he said that he wanted his cadets to read critical race theory, not because he agreed with it, but because its essential for any curious mind to be able to evaluate all the perspectives on offer.

In the UK's case, I blame Eton and the HBO series Industry.

[Torrain]

So, err, Andrew Bridgen seems to be going full QAnon - apparently the US created both COVID and the vaccines, but it’s ok because they’re all about to be arrested. All he’s missing are the words “Patriots in Control. Trust the Plan”.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ABridgen/status/1634861697910599680

[JimJamUK]

So, err, Andrew Bridgen seems to be going full QAnon - apparently the US created both COVID and the vaccines, but it’s ok because they’re all about to be arrested. All he’s missing are the words “Patriots in Control. Trust the Plan”.

https://mobile.twitter.com/ABridgen/status/1634861697910599680

My sources say the death penalty, for crimes against humanity, are being considered. I am pro-life and take no pleasure in reporting this.

[Torrain]

My sources say the death penalty, for crimes against humanity, are being considered. I am pro-life and take no pleasure in reporting this.

Man, that takes me back. Still one of the weirder career trajectories out there - although I'm sure Bridgen will have her beat on that front by the time he's done.

[CumbrianLefty]

Lineker may be the British equivalent of #resistance liberals in the US, and his politics are superficial & sophomoric…

But the BBC have behaved shamefully here; the corporation that used the world service to broadcast messages of defiance against the Nazis, that’s been banned in Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe etc is cowering in the face of the bruised egos of the Tory government. It’s pathetic, disgraceful and heads need to roll starting with Sharpe & Bruce.

Football-gate means that some have likely missed just how disgraceful her Thursday night comments actually were - Johnson Snr is a multiple domestic abuser, this has been LEGALLY CONFIRMED.

She actually has some sinecure on an anti-DV charity as well FFS.

Is it true her husband is a Tory party donor?

[TheTide]

Lineker may be the British equivalent of #resistance liberals in the US, and his politics are superficial & sophomoric…

But the BBC have behaved shamefully here; the corporation that used the world service to broadcast messages of defiance against the Nazis, that’s been banned in Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe etc is cowering in the face of the bruised egos of the Tory government. It’s pathetic, disgraceful and heads need to roll starting with Sharpe & Bruce.

Jeff Stelling of Sky Sports is the best football television presenter of modern times. Lineker is supremely overrated in this respect - IMO former professionals don't tend to make the best pundits, presenters or commentators on their respective sports (the late, great Richie Benaud is a notable exception).

The hypocrisy of many on the right on this is rather stark, however.

[CumbrianLefty]

Stelling is extremely good, but that doesn't make Lineker *bad*.

He's decent enough, and isn't both popular and well regarded by his peers for nothing.