Don’t kick up a fuss, Truss

It would be difficult not to feel sorry for Gary Lineker – but I reckon I’ll manage. The Match of the Day host was publicly chastised last week after the BBC’s internal complaints department found that he had breached impartiality guidelines after he tweeted about the Conservative party taking money from Russian donors.

Mr Lineker wrote the tweet in February, when the then Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, had claimed that people should boycott the Champions League Final, which had initially been due to take place in Russia prior to the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Lineker suggested, “And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?”

Innocent enough, you might have thought, but not so, according to the Beeb’s internal complaints team.

Crucially, that team concluded that the MOTD host had breached the BBC’s the firm guidelines.

Now, I’m no great fan of Gary Lineker, but I’m afraid in this situation, I’m firmly in his corner.

Granted, Mr Lineker is paid handsomely for his work on the telly, and granted, the BBC is supposed to be impartial in matters of politics and so on, but the reality in recent times is that the BBC has not been calling a spade a spade.

Look at the list of former BBC journalists who have left the corporation of late. Former Newsnight host, Emily Maitlis jumped ship because she was sick of having to pander to the right-wing agenda. Eddie Mair defected to LBC so that he could give an actual opinion about what is wrong with this government, and their fascist ideology, and even Mr BBC personified, Andrew Marr, has had enough, and joined Mair on the radio so that he could vent at long last. I might have agreed with the BBC’s internal complaints ruling if Gary Lineker had called Liz Truss an ‘uppity, meddling washed out rag of a politician, who’s only out to feather her backer’s nest with fifties’, but alas, Gary wasn’t as precise as yours truly. Is no-one at the BBC allowed to have an opinion outside of work, even when things are blatantly black and white?

Commenting on Friday’s revelations that Liz ‘Po-Faced Congenital Idiot’ Truss sacked Kwasi ‘The Human Scapegoat’ Kwarteng (presumably because she’s trying to salvage the wreckage of her already failed reign in office) is probably off limits to Gary and his colleagues. But not to me.

The fact of the matter is: We need more people to call out the Tories (or whichever ruling elite happens to be in power at any given time) when bad decisions are made, or when they’re indulging shady financial backers. We need the likes of Gary Lineker to tell Liz Truss to mind her own trussing business and stick to trying to lie with a straight face. We need Gary to give the Beeb the fingers before defecting to ITV, and then laughing on live telly at the historically decrepit and morally bankrupt system which means that high profile presenters aren’t allowed to be free thinkers and criticise our so-called leaders for their ineptitude.

I despair, dear reader, I really do.

Although, those lab-produced brain cells, which have worked out how to play Pong, might come in handy yet. I reckon Truss could be out of a job sooner rather than later.

And then we’ll all live happily ever after – until the next Tory megalomaniac becomes leader.

Anyway, if you’re forced to watch the telly this week instead of tweeting about politicians, you could do worse than this lot.

First up, and in no particular order, is The Martin Lewis Money Show – Live (Tuesday at 8pm on ITV)…

With staggering rises in household bills due this winter, Martin presents his must-knows to prepare for the months ahead. There’s also The Big Briefing, a News You Can Use catch-up, plus Martin answers viewers’ most pressing money matters.

Alternatively, Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel (Now showing on iPlayer)…

Profile of the Oscar-winning composer responsible for some of the best-loved film and TV scores of the past few decades. Contributors include directors, Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and Steve McQueen. In this portrait, Zimmer reveals the musical secrets of his craft – how he goes about terrifying, moving and raising people’s spirits through his work.

And lastly, Aldi’s Next Big Thing shows Thursday at 8pm on Channel4…

Cameras look on as small-scale British food and drink producers get the rare opportunity to pitch their products to buyers of the country’s fourth biggest supermarket. Among those involved in the dinner time category of presentations are two young hopefuls, who think insects are the future of food, an ambitious sauce-maker who creates her product in her small south London flat, and a pie-maker who’s dedicated his life to achieving pie perfection.

It is presented by Anita Rani and award-winning grocer Chris Bavin.