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Gary Lineker has decided to enter political affray, taking people to court because you are not happy with what they have said about you after you have decided to engage in political debate in a fairly confrontational manner is not a good look.
I can't imagine that Lineker would consider for one moment taking legal action against Gullis. He has done what he should do and put the record straight:
It is clear and easily proved by the lack of evidence that Lineker did not refer to 'red wall' voters as Nazis, unlike a fair few on stw who have constantly referred to red wall voters as bigoted racists and pretty much comparable to the Nazis, ironically.
...and... there we go.
If Lineker declines to act against gullis there will be no deterrent to others spewing out more of the same.
You are implying that a public figure should allow himself to be slandered.
Why?
If Lineker declines to act against gullis there will be no deterrent to others spewing out more of the same.
You are implying that a public figure should allow himself to be slandered.
Why?
If people (who can afford it!) aren't prepared to stand up and challenge lies and defend our rights and freedoms - including not being slandered - then we really are buggered.
To use an apt phrase in the circumstances, failure to do do is just appeasement, and that rarely ends well. Just look at 1930s Germany 🤷♂️
Lineker doesn't need to defend himself in court against such idiotic statements, he can dismiss it as he has with just a a few words. He doesn't need to become a victim of the "Streisand" affect himself as he exposed in others frothing about his comments.
He has come out of this week rather well, he hasn't whined and screamed about be cancelled or any such nonsense, and in keeping a respectful dignity has contrasted with the usual right wing culture warriors who do so. No reason to change tact now, those who try and shout him down or put words in his mouth are just making themselves look like idiots.
then we really are buggered.
I think Gary Lineker putting the record straight and leaving it at that is hardly an example of how we 'really are buggered', or comparable to '1930s Germany'.
Personally I look forward to Jonathan Gullis making more daft and easily refutable allegations. The more he makes the less seriously his opinions will be taken.
MSP - difference of opinion; I'm sticking with my view.
Apparently, the phrase "Mainstream Media" was first used by Joseph Goebbels .
It seems that our governments' deplpayment of language similar to 1930's Germany isn't just a recent thing...(source, Ian Hislop)
Thought I'd pop in on Google and have a look at some other Goebbels quotes but I keep getting redirected to the Conservative Party website.....
"The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous"
- Joseph Goebbels
Cheeky git..... Goebbels accusing Churchill of lying.
Gary’s lawyers should go for Gullis’ jugular
Linekar'd be mental to sue over that comment. s1 of Defamation Act 2013 would require him to show he has, or will have, suffered "serious harm" as a result of the statement. That's just not true. Linekar would also end up spending hundreds of grand to Streisand the comments over several years. It's tomorrow's chip paper, he will (quite sensibly) let it die.
...and with that, we all went off to watch actual football, read the news, or just simply ride bikes.
The End.
The End.
Except that the lesson to be learnt from this story doesn't seem to have been discussed or acknowledged much.
The BBC was forced into a humiliating climbdown for one reason and one reason only.
Everything was suppose to carry on pretty much as normal except without Gary Lineker. The reason it didn't and what ensued was programming scheduling chaos was down to the solidarity with Gary Lineker of all those involved. There would have been no BBC climbdown if not for that.
It was a victory for solidarity which could hardly have come at a worse time for the Tories - today saw the greatest coordinated demonstrations and strikes against government wages policies so far.
Nothing terrifies a government more than a united opposition to their policies which is galvanized by solidarity. And that is precisely why they go to extraordinary lengths in their attempts to sow division.
ctk
Full MemberMay can **** off with her grandstanding. She was just as bad as this lot
Worse, in a way, since she actually got stuff done rather than just repeating stupid stunts. The present day collapse of the UK immigration system is a policy she put in place- not a failure, it's all gone exactly according to her plan. People have tended to forget, since she was such a useless prime minister, that she was very very good at the "fail to succeed" thing. But by systematically underresourcing, shedding competent staff, creating FUD in all the policies, making processes harder and slower, she's created the exact "immigration disaster" she wanted.
May can **** off with her grandstanding. She was just as bad as this lot.
Nah. She was bad, but this lot take it to a new level.
Theresa May's opposition to the bill is in relation to its current form, she wants it heavily amended but not necessarily scrapped. Opposition parties want it scrapped.
Theresa May's intervention does seem to be important and significant:
Former justice secretary Robert Buckland said “a lot” of Tory MPs who voted with the government last night will not do so in future unless it is radically amended to prevent unaccompanied children being deported or families being split up.
He told Radio Four’s Today programme: “I think Theresa May’s contribution yesterday was significant and powerful. She was somebody who ran the Home Office for six years and has immense experience of this.
“I think a lot of us who decided to allow the principle of the bill to go forward yesterday were doing so upon the basis that this bill will need further work of it is to have the effect that the government wish it to have, namely to end the small boats crisis.”
Grandstanding is a strange term to use to describe a Tory politician's opposition to strict immigration policies btw. Recently Tory politicians have been accused of supporting immigration policies which they know cannot be implemented simply to appear tough on immigration, or in other words for grandstanding purposes.
So Gary said some stuff that is true and only political in terms of it is put forwards by a ruling party... the BBC viewed it as "political" and after that noone** but Gary seems bothered about the truth rather twisting it into political point scoring?
** A few of his mates have provided solidarity which is fair enough
On one side anyone against uncontrolled immigration is racist ... on the other labelling of refugees as illegal and claims he tweeted something he didn't and deliberate conflation of these theoretical millions (hundreds of millions was it).
I'm sure some are racist but Albanians aren't darker skinned than any other southern European but then this is IMHO further dehumanisation (what Gary was saying to start with) from BOTH sides.
Equally there are obviously criminals and Albania has it's fair share... but trying to label their victims as criminals is just further dehumanisation.
Sadly, I don't think EITHER side here are doing anything that will change the mind of anyone on the other side of this divisive subject or even care if they do.
It defense of May she appears to have a conscience and a sense of duty even if from a very right wing point of view. Unlike the current shower for whom its all about whats in it for them
It defense of May she appears to have a conscience and a sense of duty
I don't think so, she is effectively the creator of the hostile environment to immigrants and refugees, moving it from a rallying cry for the right wing, to an actual policy.
That doesn't mean the points she raised in the house are wrong, but I suspect that her motivation is more to stick the knife into those she feels are responsible for the failure of her stint as PM, rather than any empathy to the victims of cruel policies created by her and those who followed her.
It defense of May she appears to have a conscience and a sense of duty even if from a very right wing point of view.
Short memories here.

TJAgain
It defense of May she appears to have a conscience and a sense of duty
She totally fails to distinguish the victims of illegal people traffickers from people traffickers
She refers to the "illegal immigrants" multiple times just reinforcing the narrative of "they are all dangerous law breakers by definition because they are entering illegally" without addressing the fact our government as much as the traffickers are responsible for creating the situation.
Her attempt at de-de-humanisation to give the case of a single migrant having the doors closed is equally ineffective and divisive as her "don't worry about small boats loads more come by other means and outstay their welcome"
I find it hard to believe her speech will have converted a single anti-immigrant person to change their views whilst providing ample reason for many to crack down on these "criminals".

and the offending tweet
does racist gran really care about the chairman of the bbc ?
What, baby snatches handbag? What is happening to society?
Daily Express in "Not that kind of Free Speech" shocker
The express headlins like this sounds to me like Mervyn Griffiths-Jones asking "Would you let your servant say these things?"
Yep, can't imagine why a rag owned by a 7 figure cash donor to the Tory party would run that headline.
It must be big news to relegate the impending hellish inferno 40°C summer of BBQtastic hose pipe bans we're all going to die immigrants Corbyn ate my falafel to next week's lead article
Jonathan Dimbleby has come out said the Sam thing today, I expect his head on a spike on tomorrow's front page.
Or maybe they only want to silence higher profile people who might make everyday folk stop and wonder....
It is clear and easily proved by the lack of evidence that Lineker did not refer to ‘red wall’ voters as Nazis, unlike a fair few on stw who have constantly referred to red wall voters as bigoted racists and pretty much comparable to the Nazis, ironically.
That's bollocks unless you can link it, Ernie. It's all in your head. But any excuse call STW members you disagree with Nazis, eh.
As for Lineker - keep up the good work, Gary.
It’s all in your head.
😄 LOL! Of course it is, red wall voters are treated with utmost respect by everyone on stw! Only the highest level of praise is ever expressed towards red wall voters on stw, no one has ever referred to them as bigoted racists and pretty much comparable to the Nazis, it's all in my head!
But any excuse call STW members you disagree with Nazis, eh.
You've noticed! I am always calling people who disagree with me "nazis"!
Wtf are you on mate? I think it's fuzzled your head.
Not respecting someone because of their racist views, bigotry and self interest which have directly resulted in the equality gap in this country getting worse is not the same as calling someone a Nazi.
HTH.
pretty much comparable to the Nazis,
Perish the thought eh? Where did I get the idea?!
Only yesterday:
I know that in the minds of the gammons, egged on by the Daily Heil, they have a dream of huge open air concentration camps
No oblique reference to the Nazis at all. Words such as Heil and concentration camps when talking about "gammons" mean nothing.
Well, that's totally representative of the entire userbase, obvs.
LOL! Of course it is, red wall voters are treated with utmost respect by everyone on stw! Only the highest level of praise is ever expressed towards red wall voters on stw, no one has ever referred to them as bigoted racists and pretty much comparable to the Nazis, it’s all in my head!
I don't know what a "red wall voter" is, and I may be wrong but I don't think I've ever invoked Godwin's Law.
I know what bigoted racists look like though, and am happy to call them that. It's probably about 10% of the people you squeal "racism" at on a fairly regular basis. I'm genuinely confused that for someone who has such a hardon for your perceived racism, you're so quick to rail against the idea as soon as someone else suggests it.
Well I think Lineker's tweet comparing government language to that which was used in 1930's Germany was brilliant.
It was imevitably met with a chorus of "you're calling is Nazis".
No, he isn't calling you a Nazi, he's just giving you the opportunity to self identify as such.
It’s probably about 10% of the people you squeal “racism” at on a fairly regular basis.
FFS who have I accused of being a racist now?? According to Ed I apparently accuse anyone who disagrees of being a Nazi, and now according to you I squeal racism at people of whom, according to you, only about 10% are racist. What the actual **** are you on about?
And how about not turning every thread discussing contentious issues into a personal attack on me? Could that be a possibility? This thread is supposed to about Gary Lineker, not me.
And here again is your willfull blindness towards the racist element in Brexit.
I can only think its because you are both a committed brexiteer and an anti racist that you totally refuse to acknowledge the obvious racist element in brexit and the red wall voters
this does not mean every red wall voter is a racist as you keep trying to claim I say.
its really obvious and simple analysis but you you totally refuse to see
FFS who have I accused of being a racist now?? According to Ed I apparently accuse anyone who disagrees of being a Nazi, and now according to you I squeal racism at people of whom, according to you, only about 10% are racist. What the actual **** are you on about?
I agree with this however -you do not go about shouting racist.
And here again is your willfull blindness towards the racist element.....
Oh FFS TJ as arrived now to bang on about brexit, and keep this thread firmly on the topic of attacking me! 🤣
I have obviously touched a few raw nerves!
Edit : One geezer claims that I accuse people of being racist (90% of those I accuse apparently aren't) and then another geezer comes along and accuses me of being blind to racism!
FFS get your act together I decide what you are accusing me of! 🙂
Hey - I defended you as well 🙂
Its not about attacking you - its about the truth.
I enjoy much of your analysis but this huge bit of willful blindness is more than a little irritating
this huge bit of willful blindness is more than a little irritating
Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise that I was irritating anyone. Perhaps I should change my opinions so that no one is irritated. 😉
Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that I was irritating anyone. Perhaps I should change my opinions so that no one is irritated. 😉
whilst your at it, would you (and the other handful of big hitters) mind terribly refraining from turning every bloody thread you touch into pointless point scoring bickering.
It really is rather tedious.
whilst your at it, would you (and the other handful of big hitters) mind terribly refraining from turning every bloody thread you touch into
pointless point scoring bickeringbeing about yourselves.
FFS who have I accused of being a racist now?? According to Ed I apparently accuse anyone who disagrees of being a Nazi, and now according to you I squeal racism at people of whom, according to you, only about 10% are racist. What the actual **** are you on about?
Hold that thought. I'll point it out next time you do it.
And how about not turning every thread discussing contentious issues into a personal attack on me? Could that be a possibility? This thread is supposed to about Gary Lineker, not me.
I have nothing against you personally, I don't know you from a cheese sandwich. I'm just kinda bored of you throwing hand grenades and then running behind feigned innocence every time you get called out on it.
The mistake you make is thinking everyone else is daft.
bored of you throwing hand grenades
I hadn't posted anything for a month on this thread. Delayed action grenade obviously.
The mistake you make is thinking everyone else is daft.
You claim that I wilfully call people who aren't racist, racists, I'm wrong 90% of the time according to you, and TJ accuses me of being wilfully blind to racism and not seeing it.
Well I am definitely not smart enough to work out the logic in that.
And yeah you obviously have got an issue with me, otherwise you wouldn't have come back to make one more personal attack.
and TJ accuses me of being wilfully blind to racism and not seeing it.
Willfully blind to racism in anything around brexit
whilst your at it, would you (and the other handful of big hitters) mind terribly refraining from turning every bloody thread you touch into pointless point scoring bickering.
It really is rather tedious.
They're off their meds. It comes in waves.
Willfully blind to racism in anything around brexit
Is there no limit to my failings!
Edit: You don't know my views concerning the connection between brexit and racism because I don't discuss them. All you know is that I don't believe that the majority of voters in the UK are racists. Certainly no more than other countries and a lot less than most.
No
All you know is that I don’t believe that the majority of voters in the UK are racists.
Whereas I believe a lot of of them are. And a lot are homophobic, Islamophobic and many other things. They won't say it in public as they at least realise (or most of them) that it is not acceptable these days.
As most of us know, Brexit was very much a racist decision for most people who voted for it so that is a lot of people. Lets hope they felt it was worth it, I guess you did...
All I know is that Ernie is a vexatious poster who probably needs to take a day off from this place. Others too could benefit from a break.
This forum does not belong to any individual poster so why act like it?
All you know is that I don’t believe that the majority of voters in the UK are racists.
and no one has said they are - just enough to tip the brexit vote and to tip the Red wall to blue
All I know is that Ernie is a vexatious poster who probably needs to take a day off from this place. Others too could benefit from a break.
I am gong to disagree strongly with this. Ernie is a poster with views that are not in step with the group think and who apart from on this one area makes very good analysis
They are in step with Mick Lynch's veiws though, does that count?
I think probably not.
Edit : I agree that I should probably have a day off though. I have no idea how I allowed myself to get dragged onto this thread by a daft personal attack from Ed. He only had to launch the personal attack and then withdraw from the thread to watch the result. Good move on his part! I'm doing part of the South Downs Way tomorrow that should be a tad more interesting than stw bickering.
Lynch, it appears, has taught me the meaning of cognitive dissonance.
🙂
For Lynch is undoubtedly a Brexit arse of the first water. And all Lynch’s Brexit-voting members are arses too. How’s that Lexit working out for you lads? How was voting against the EU because you “support basic socialist policies of workers’ rights, public ownership, and opposition to austerity and racism”? I hope Nigel Farage sent flowers and chocolates. Boris Johnson must have been laughing all the way to the next ex-KGB agent’s son’s private Italian hilltop party. Lynch and the RMT will be first up against the wall come my Crushed Velvet Remainers’ Revolution.
Madame used to take 60 kids to the UK every year. They spent about £300 each on the UK part of the trip some of which went to pay RMT workers' wages. Since Brexit she takes them on an exchange with a school in Germany. We get on great with the German teachers. 79% of school trips to the UK have stopped.
Edit: You started with calling me and others with similar views "Nazis", Ernie. I quoted you, read back, that was the start of it all. You provoked and as Cougar pointed out, we called you out.
It's perfectly possible to talk about red wall racists (because that's what they are without thinking or stating they are Nazis, which I never have.
Fell free to continue distorting and misquoting people which is what I find most irritating about you. I've made two contributions to this thread today, that's quite enough.
Have a read through the last couple of pages, mods, this kind of crap is why 2 day old threads are half way up the first page of threads.
You started with calling me and others with similar views “Nazis”, Ernie.
That's just made up nonsense. I have never called you a nazi. I don't recall ever expressing any opinion about you.
Fell free to continue distorting and misquoting people which is what I find most irritating about you.
Are you for real?
Have a read through the last couple of pages, mods, this kind of crap is why 2 day old threads are half way up the first page of threads.
Because people like you launch personal attacks on other forum users?
As far as I am aware I have not made any personal attack on anyone on this thread. But you certainly don't pull your punches Ed.
I don't think that constant personal attacks contribute much to the forum.
Godwin! Godwin! Godwin!
Bingo!
All I know is that tjagain is a vexatious poster who probably needs to take a month off from this place.
FTFY
All the big hitter point scoring got me thinking of this.
No, no, no, no, no.
Won't someone please ban me, pleaaaase!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Burn my last packet of fags, pour the last bottle of Vodka down the sink, infest my weed plants with greenfly and wipe STW from the www.
Flounce etc.
Have a read through the last couple of pages, mods, this kind of crap is why 2 day old threads are half way up the first page of threads.
You can always use the Report button
Erm... please can we crowd fund extra Dev resource on this site to add an enforced interval between posts of say... 2 hours on some individuals who always trash these threads with their relentless bickering please? Every discussion with a vague political content gets trashed by these machine gun posters who post faster than they think.
If you are wondering who I am referring to? Well its anyone who posts more frequently than every 2 hours.
Que arguments of "Oh no I dont" etc etc
Supposed grown ups behaving like kids in a playground. Dreadful.
<div class="bbp-reply-content">
Erm… please can we crowd fund extra Dev resource on this site to add an enforced interval between posts of say… 2 hours on some individuals who always trash these threads with their relentless bickering please? Every discussion with a vague political content gets trashed by these machine gun posters who post faster than they think.
</div>
That’s a frankly brilliant idea.
Yep, can’t imagine why a rag owned by a 7 figure cash donor to the Tory party would run that headline.
Unless I am missing something this isnt the case.
The porn king sold it to Trinity mirror group back in 2018 at which point Trinity changed its name to Reach.
So we have the same company owning both the more left wing mirror and the Daily Diana/Snowmageddon.
Whereas I believe a lot of of them are. And a lot are homophobic, Islamophobic and many other things. They won’t say it in public as they at least realise (or most of them) that it is not acceptable these days.
100%
But its not about what they say, rather how people think.
In my observation of people, all are racist bigots, homophobes etc, but far as I can tell thats perfectly normal for the human mind.
what you have to do is remind yourself, that people who look nothing like you, or follow different cultures that deep down they are exactly the same. Same hopes, same fears, same worries, same needs.
Well GB News have managed to turn the story concerning Richard Sharp's shameful resignation into an attack on Gary Lineker.
The sub-headline might acknowledge the story:
Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the corporation
But the main headline doesn't:
Gary Lineker hypocrisy laid bare as woke presenter wades into BBC row - ‘Like his football career, he’s there for the tap-ins!’
https://www.gbnews.com/celebrity/gary-lineker-woke-bbc-tv-news-latest
He's been polishing his balls on Twitter again, well done Gary 🙂
Who'd have thought that in 2023 a football pundit, an ex-daytime telly quiz show assistant and the lead singer of a 70s punk rock band are doing more to hold the govt to account than the leader of the opposition.....sad times
No doubt usual suspects will be along soon to take over this thread and take us to the land of whataboutery
🤦♂️
Well done Lineker
If you chose the wrong tyres for Llandegla then somehow it’ll all be Keir Starmers fault
I know you are obsessed about Keir Starmer not receiving any criticism but there is no need to bring it up where it is completely irrelevant.
This thread is about Gary Lineker's criticism of Suella Braverman.
Apparently Jonathan Gullis has said that Lineker is a 'snooty sneering "star"' who has 'a limited capacity to understand what is really going on'
Which coming from Gullis undoubtedly adds value to Lineker's comment.
As someone who doesn't do X/Twitter, anyone care to enlighten me on what Lineker has said now?
It involves Suella Braverman, claims of "hate marches", and the crises in the M*ddl* E*st, which cannot currently be discussed on stw.
Like any sane person Lineker thinks it's not on for Israel to be killing civilians in their effort to eradicate the Hamas problem.
what Lineker has said now?
Something about VAR and the off-side rule but applied to politics.
after saying the square root of nothing
Not his choice, the BBC recently chose to limit what certain extra people they pay can say on social media… it wasn’t a coincidence that the new wider definition of who must watch what they say happens to describe him and his role very precisely. So, yes, he is saying less, and less often… but that isn’t his choice. But he doesn’t have to be silent, just measured and very careful.