Gary Lineker is under fire after wading into the Rwanda migrant discussion again.
Ex-Labour MP Simon Danczuk is the latest to criticise the Match of the Day presenter, accusing him of representing “anti-Christian” values.
The BBC star signed a letter condemning the Government’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda, sparking another impartiality row for the broadcaster to contend with.
According to Danczuk, the former England international should “stick to football” rather than engage in political debate.
Simon Danczuk hit out at Gary Lineker
GB NEWS / GETTY
“I think he should stay out of it, to be quite honest”, he told Tom Harwood and Emily Carver.
“I know very little about football, I know a lot about politics and doing government and policy.
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“He knows very little about doing government and policy. He should stick to football.
“The reality is, I actually think it’s uncaring and unchristian to support the people traffickers bringing people over here, that’s where he’s placing himself.
“He’s got it completely wrong. It’s unchristian, uncaring to support the people traffickers who are actually drowning people in the channel.”
Earlier this year, Lineker was at the centre of another BBC impartiality row after he compared Government discourse on the migrant crisis to that of 1930s Germany.
He was briefly called on by the broadcaster to step back from Match of the Day but his absence was only brief after fellow pundits boycotted various BBC sports shows in solidarity.
The scandal resulted in the BBC strengthening social media guidelines for staff on issues of impartiality and civility.
On Monday, Lineker singe d alter calling Britain’s refugee system “ever-more uncaring, chaotic and costly”, adding asylum policies are “not working”.
Grant Shapps responded to the statement by arguing Lineker should not be expressing such views as a prominent BBC presenter.
Shapps hit out at Lineker
PA
He told Times Radio: “He’s been through all of this before. The BBC have told him he shouldn’t do this type of thing but still it continues.
“The point I would make to Mr Lineker is: what is right or moral about having people trafficked dangerously across the English Channel, losing their lives at sea, illegally entering the country? That is not a civilised, morally correct thing to do.”
He added: “I just fundamentally disagree with him. What happens to him next is up to the BBC.
“As far as I see it, they have issued previous warnings to him, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do and say at this point.
“I know millions of people watch him for his football commentary and TV presenting; I would have thought it’s better to stick with that.”
Lineker hit back by tweeting a photograph of Shapps with his name under it alongside three more images of the politician with the names Michael Green, Corinne Stockheath and Sebastian Fox used instead.
Lineker wrote: “A tad rich coming from someone who can’t even stick to one name. 4 chaps Shapps.”
Shapps was previously accused of breaching the code of conduct for ministers and MPs by continuing to work as a marketer of get-rich-quick schemes under the pseudonym Michael Green after entering parliament.
He has also been accused of using the pseudonyms Sebastian Fox and Corinne Stockheath.
