When the comedy W1A launched on BBC2 back in 2015, staff muttered that it wasn’t a satire, it was a documentary. The debacle over Gary Lineker’s tweet, which ended with the announcement of a 'review' of social media to mask a massive climb-down by the Beeb, proves it.
There’s nothing more exasperating than seeing top BBC management steer a row into a full-blown crisis. What was director general Tim Davie thinking when he decided, on the hoof, that Lineker had breached the guidelines and was off presenting Match of the Day as a punishment?
What a brilliant move to give this ex-footballer, famed for never committing a foul in his entire career, his first ever red card. Who did he think would step in and present the programme in his place? The 'sportacus' response by fellow presenters, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer etc was entirely predictable, but seems to have come as a shock to hapless Davie.
BBC staff were said to be in a mutinous mood. It’s not the first time they’ve been let down by the ham-fisted response of their bosses. Look at the handling of the Jimmy Savile affair, when they stopped Newsnight’s investigation and allowed a 'tribute' programme to go ahead. It was the end of then DG George Entwistle’s career. They didn’t cover themselves in glory again when they ignored concerns over Martin Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana, then went for a cover-up when they discovered his deceitful tactics.
But it sticks in the craw to have Alastair Campbell leading the charge in defence of free speech, when he led the attack on the BBC’s independence over the Iraq affair, which led to the defenestration of both DG Greg Dyke and chairman Gavyn Davies.
The BBC was a victim of political pressure back then, when Labour was in charge, and it’s a victim of even worse pressure from the Tories. The latest revelation that Number 10 was demanding the BBC should not use the term 'lockdown' during the pandemic, and should go harder on Labour’s Covid response is shocking. Worse, that they were listened to.
It’s surely laughable for this government to talk about the need for impartiality at the Corporation when they’ve appointed as chairman one of their donors who also helped arrange a loan for Boris Johnson.
But while all our attention has been diverted onto Lineker there hasn’t been sufficient attention paid to the reason for his infamous tweet – the government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill.
How refreshing it was to hear the DUP MP Gavin Robinson tell it like it is at Westminster, describing the policy as a “culture war” that’s been brought with the next General Election in mind.
This is exactly what the government is up to. 'Stop the boats' is just a dishonest slogan, designed for the tabloid headline writers and to distract public attention from the soaring cost of living and a deteriorating health service.
Lineker was right to call out the dehumanising language employed by Suella Braverman with her talk of “invasions” and “billions” of people wanting to crowd into Britain. You can see it replicated in the placards held by right-wing gangs protesting outside hotels where asylum seekers are housed.
This wretched administration could instead deal with the huge backlog of asylum claims, and it could allow migrants the right to work so that they aren’t a drain on the public purse. But then that wouldn’t help with their policy of demonising, would it?
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So, Uncle Joe Biden looks like he is going to come to Northern Ireland after all, even though celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement looks a little awkward, what with there being no government at Stormont and all.
Yanks only like being associated with success, so you can bet there will be increased pressure behind the scenes to get that show on the road again before April, especially with the Clintons coming too. Maybe there’ll be some kind of fudge that allows a speaker to be elected which can get the ball rolling until the Duppers see reason and get back into government. Hope springs eternal.
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A shout out to An Irish Goodbye and its star James Martin for their Oscar success, and a big hand for the 60-year-old Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh. Her speech took a swipe at a CNN anchor who had said a political candidate in her 50s was “past her prime”. She said: “Ladies, don’t ever let anyone tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.” As we say over here... 'Yeoh'.
