Editing Gary Lineker (section)

==== 2023 controversy and suspension from ''Match of the Day'' ====
In March 2023, Lineker criticised the British government's asylum policy via Twitter. Commenting on a video message by the [[Home Secretary]], [[Suella Braverman]], about stopping migrants crossing the [[English Channel]] in small boats, he said the message was "beyond awful" and called the government's policy "an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".<ref name=":02">{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker to be spoken to by BBC after comparing UK asylum policy to Nazi Germany |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/08/gary-lineker-bbc-uk-asylum-policy-nazi-germany-match-of-the-day-presenter |access-date=8 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Caroline |last2=Clinton |first2=Jane |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker responds to critics of his immigration policy comments |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/08/gary-lineker-bbc-uk-asylum-policy-nazi-germany-match-of-the-day-presenter |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=11 March 2023 |title=BBC è nei guai per avere sospeso Gary Lineker |trans-title=BBC is in trouble after suspending Gary Lineker |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2023/03/11/gary-lineker-sospeso-bbc/ |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=Il Post |language=it-IT}}</ref> The comments received condemnation from some Conservative politicians, including Braverman herself,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":12"/> and a spokesperson for Labour leader [[Keir Starmer]] said comparisons with 1930s Germany "aren't always the best way" to make an argument.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":1" /> Lineker received support from other political figures, including [[Alf Dubs, Baron Dubs|Baron Dubs]],<ref name=":02" /> [[Alastair Campbell]],<ref name=":02" /> and [[Angela Rayner]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Cooney |first=Christy |date=11 March 2023 |title='Assault on free speech': Gary Lineker's defenders and detractors |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/11/assault-on-free-speech-gary-linekers-defenders-and-detractors |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> A BBC source said the corporation was taking the matter "seriously" and expected to have a "frank conversation" with Lineker.<ref name=":02" /> The BBC's culture and media editor [[Katie Razzall]] wrote, "As the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement."<ref>{{cite news |last=Razzall |first=Katie |date=8 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64889868 |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref> Lineker said he stood by his comments and did not fear suspension from his BBC work.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Charley |date=9 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64899472 |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref>

On 10 March, the BBC said Lineker would step back from his job on ''Match of the Day'' because it considered "his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines". It added it had "decided Lineker will not present ''Match of the Day'' until there's an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".<ref name=":03"/><ref name=":12"/><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Maclellan |first1=Kylie |last2=Davey |first2=James |date=10 March 2023 |title=Lineker to 'step back' from BBC presenting after migration row |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/lineker-step-back-bbc-presenting-after-migration-row-2023-03-10/ |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |date=11 March 2023 |title=Gary Lineker: BBC takes presenter off Match of the Day duties |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12830486/bbc-sorry-as-sports-shows-pulled-lineker-row-grows |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=Sky Sports |language=en-GB}}</ref> Lineker's BBC Sport colleagues [[Ian Wright]], [[Alan Shearer]],<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":03"/><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Waterson |first=Jim |date=10 March 2023 |title=Match of the Day to air without presenter or pundits after Gary Lineker's suspension |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/10/gary-lineker-step-back-match-of-the-day-bbc |access-date=11 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[Steve Wilson (football commentator)|Steve Wilson]], [[Conor McNamara]], [[Robyn Cowen]], [[Steven Wyeth]],<ref name="Evans 20232">{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Gareth |date=10 March 2023 |title=Match of the Day in crisis as commentators join growing staff boycott |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64918162 |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=BBC News}}</ref> [[Alex Scott (footballer, born 1984)|Alex Scott]], [[Jason Mohammad]], [[Mark Chapman (broadcaster)|Mark Chapman]], [[Jermaine Jenas]], [[Dion Dublin]] and [[Jermain Defoe]] all pulled out of their respective roles in BBC programmes in the next hours in solidarity with him.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":22" /><ref name=":3" /> As a result, the broadcaster was forced to reduce its sports-related schedules for 11 and 12 March,<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" /> with ''Match of the Day'' going ahead without any hosts or studio presentation, thus featuring only match footage.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" /><ref name=":3" /> It also affected the [[BBC World Service]]'s English-language programme ''[[Sportsworld (radio programme)|Sportsworld]]'', which was not aired on that day and was instead replaced with alternative programming.<ref>{{cite news|title=BBC boss apologises for sport disruption but will not resign|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64895316|work=BBC News|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> The BBC and Lineker issued coordinated statements on 13 March.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statements from BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Gary Lineker |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/statements/director-general-tim-davie-gary-lineker |website=BBC Media Centre |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> Lineker's suspension was ended and the BBC announced it would initiate an independent review of its social media guidelines and how they apply to freelancers outside news.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 March 2023 |title=Lineker 'delighted' to return as BBC reviews social media rules |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/entertainment-arts-64938252 |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> The BBC's director-general, [[Tim Davie]], stated that Lineker had agreed to abide by the corporation's editorial guidelines until the review into them has been completed.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>

Since the controversy, Lineker has continued to use Twitter to comment on political issues. On 21 November 2023, he tweeted: "Worth 13 minutes of anyone's time." The tweet was accompanied by a link to an interview between [[Owen Jones]] and [[Raz Segal]], in which Segal stated that Israel's actions in the [[Gaza war]] were "a textbook case of genocide". Lineker's tweet was interpreted by some to be an endorsement of Segal's views.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dominic|last=Penna|date=21 November 2023|title=Gary Lineker endorses video that accuses Israel of 'textbook genocide'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/21/bbc-lineker-israel-hamas-textbook-genocide-raz-segal/|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231121204420/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/21/bbc-lineker-israel-hamas-textbook-genocide-raz-segal/|archive-date=21 November 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Laurence|last=Sleator|date=22 November 2023|title=BBC staff's anger after Lineker shares Israel-Gaza 'genocide' video|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/gary-lineker-israel-genocide-gaza-tweet-sk8zm0236|website=[[The Times]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231122213313/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gary-lineker-israel-genocide-gaza-tweet-sk8zm0236|archive-date=22 November 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Jake|last=Kanter|date=22 November 2023|title=BBC's Best-Paid Presenter Gary Lineker Appears To Endorse "Genocide" Claim Against Israel|url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/gary-lineker-endorse-genocide-claims-against-israel-bbc-1235633945/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122124922/https://deadline.com/2023/11/gary-lineker-endorse-genocide-claims-against-israel-bbc-1235633945/|archive-date=22 November 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|first=Gary|last=Lineker|user=GaryLineker|number=1726984161905545305|title=Worth 13 minutes of anyone's time.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231121213125/https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1726984161905545305|archive-date=21 November 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In December 2023, Lineker signed an open letter criticising the government's proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/gary-lineker-and-brian-cox-back-call-to-scrap-rwanda-scheme | title= Gary Lineker and Brian Cox back call to scrap Rwanda scheme | work=The Guardian | first=Charlie | last=Moloney | date=11 December 2023 | access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref> Defence Secretary [[Grant Shapps]], Conservative Party deputy chairman [[Lee Anderson (British politician)|Lee Anderson]], and [[Jonathan Gullis]] accused him of violating impartiality and lodged a complaint with the BBC.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67701186|title=Gary Lineker seemed to break rules, next BBC chairman says|work=BBC News|first=Graeme|last=Baker|date=13 December 2023|accessdate=13 December 2023}}</ref>