Andrew Marr has said the row over Gary Lineker’s tweet blasting the government for their migrant crackdown shows the Tories are “weirdly obsessive” about the BBC.
The presenter, who was Political Editor at the BBC for five years, claimed the party were using the football pundit as a “new stick to beat it with”.
Slamming the Tories and the BBC on his LBC show last night, the veteran broadcaster took aim at both sides and said “it’s time to start talking about something else”.
Match of the Day host Lineker compared the Tories to the Nazis in a recent tweet criticising their controversial migrant plan.
He has refused to take it down despite the BBC asking presenters to remain impartial on political issues and said he will continue speaking out on behalf of refugees.
Giving his opinion on the ‘freedom of speech’ row, Marr said: ‘The Conservatives, despite having one of their own in place as BBC chairman – Richard Sharp – remain weirdly obsessive about the Corporation.
“They blame it for everything in much the same way that farmers look up and blame the weather. And in Gary Lineker they have a new stick to beat it with.”
Marr continued: “What complicates all of this is that the BBC seem so keen to be beaten.
“With a masochistic enthusiasm you rarely find outside dungeons where the men wear gimp masks, the Corporation has been leading its bulletins not on migration policy or anything else in the real world, but on Gary Lineker. This is utterly mad.”
Marr went on to say the BBC was “well and truly stuffed” as it can’t sack Lineker for bias because it’s a chairman is a Tory.
He added: “When there is nothing you can say, say nothing. The best thing it can do is stop reporting its own misery with such bizarre enthusiasm.
“Now, all of us, please, start talking about something else.”
Lineker came under fire earlier this week after calling the government’s new asylum seeker plan “beyond awful”.
The legislation is highly controversial as the government wants to detain migrants who enter the country via illegal routes without bail or judicial review before being deported and blocked from returning to the UK.
Lineker compared the plan to what the Nazis did, saying: "There is no huge influx [of refugees]. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
"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."
The BBC, who remain impartial on political matters, are set to hold talks with Lineker over his social media "responsibilities".
Lineker has since hinted he will avoid suspension by the BBC following his comments on the government’s plans – and told fans he will still be hosting Match Of The Day.
Taken to Twitter again, he wrote: "Well, it’s been an interesting couple of days. Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting @BBCMOTD on Saturday. Thanks again for your incredible support. It’s been overwhelming.”
The Mirror has reached out to the BBC for further comment.
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