[bbctvtechop]

I think we already know the answers to those questions. Effectively, they are:

1) News presenters - yes, on all matters publicly. Obviously their family and friends may know their private views. Tweeting about them isn’t allowed unless it’s something very innocuous, even then it’s tread carefully!

2) Contributors, et al - no, especially if brought on to present a particular view (i.e. that of pro-Brexit, or anti-Brexit individuals; left or right wing politicians, etc). The BBC has an overall duty to “balance” the views of contributors to one extreme or the other, usually with an “opposing” person during the same discussion.

3) Prominent “BBC faces” - yes, much the same as news presenters. Their own public image and “personal brand” is inextricably linked with the BBC’s for as long as they work for it. As such, news presenter-style rules apply.

Further to this, despite the rules themselves being very strict, no action seems to be taken if presenters merely go “close to the line” but don’t cross it, and even if something happens where they ought not to have said something it seems like they generally get away with a warning, especially if they retract it or delete a tweet. Presumably there is some kind of “three strikes and you’re disciplined” policy. On the other hand, perceived breaches of impartiality on air are treated far more seriously. Martine Croxall’s indiscreet comments about Boris Johnson, which I personally took as a joke (for example), resulted in a period of suspension.

Number 3. Even if they're freelance like Leneker is? What if another of their clients insist on something which he would then have to follow while working for the BBC, which may be incompatible with the BBC editorial guidelines? Because that's exactly what the BBC is asking of Lineker - "Because you take licence fee money, everything you do in your personal life and work you do for other clients must comply with our own rules". As I said, this is unprecedented to my knowledge and is unworkable as a freelancer.

Social media, of course, complicates this whole area massively due to the private platforms celebrities now have.