[Jeff]

The issue though is this isn't the first time Linekar expressing his political/personal opinions on Twitter has caused issues (whether real or perceived) for the BBC. If it was, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion because it would either be a kerfuffle (particularly in media outlets hostile to the BBC) or handled differently.

Do you not think, though, that these issues are deliberately blown up by... certain elements, who have a problem with the BBC anyway? I tend to think that if the BBC turned into GB News Mk II overnight, these people still wouldn't be satisfied, because many of them don't agree with the TV licence or the idea of a publicly funded broadcaster. Gary Lineker happens to have politics that these people don't share, so he is a very easy target for them.

Of course and there are all sorts of double standards at play here by both sides of the debate. However, think it wasn't a question of if but when Linekar's tweeting would result in a 'flash point' moment (like the one we're seeing playing out) as a result of the things I outlined in my previous posts about this.