Gary Lineker: it was factually accurate to call refugee policy cruel

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker taken off air after he publicly criticised the government’s immigration plans. Many of his BBC colleagues also stepped down in solidarity. Photograph: BBC

After publicly criticising the government’s asylum policy, embroiling the BBC in an impartiality row and fomenting widespread disruption to sports programming, Gary Lineker has said it was ‘“factually accurate” to call the plans “cruel”.

Weeks after the Match of the Day presenter was suspended for criticising government immigration policy, the former England footballer has said he stands by his remarks, in an interview with Men’s Health UK magazine.