In todays news...

[Mr. Dazzle]

Why is nobody bothered that HMRC say GL avoided tax? When that happened to Nadhim Zahawi he was branded a criminal who should resign from everything.

GL ain't the man who decides how much tax we have to pay, nor is he part of the system which punishes you when you don't.

Does make a difference IMO.

[Potter]

Why is nobody bothered that HMRC say GL avoided tax? When that happened to Nadhim Zahawi he was branded a criminal who should resign from everything.

GL ain't the man who decides how much tax we have to pay, nor is he part of the system which punishes you when you don't.

Does make a difference IMO.

I think it's quite right to hold NZ to a higher standard, but it doesn't take away from Lineker being under investigation for possible dishonesty in his tax affairs and cheating the public, and if found at fault then perhaps not a fit role model to be doing very much except reading out the football scores.

[Potter]

And to be honest this is all getting rather dull now, the issue at question is whether the UK should be opening it's doors 'Call-me-Tony' style and inviting the sort of issues that contributed to Brexit, strain on services, working people where they are now, etc.

The rich people who don't have to carry this burden aren't going to suffer.

[JackyJoll]

Why is nobody bothered that HMRC say GL avoided tax? When that happened to Nadhim Zahawi he was branded a criminal who should resign from everything.

I also avoid tax.

[G.P]

Why is nobody bothered that HMRC say GL avoided tax? When that happened to Nadhim Zahawi he was branded a criminal who should resign from everything.

They aren't saying that directly, they are suggesting that his relationship with BBC is that of an employee given the percentage of his turnover that's derived from them. IR35 is a bit more complicated than that though, hence the discussion is ongoing. Oh, and under IR35 its the BBCs responsibility to decide whether his services fall inside or outside of IR35.

[Mr. Dazzle]

If we wanna talk unqualified opinions though...the man at the top has been saying stopping small boats is "a priority for the British people". So the PM himself is calling fair game on "doing shit cause the uninformed* want it" after all.

*Which, let's be fair, is pretty much everyone outside of a few crusty academics and the people actually getting on these boats

[Potter]

So many questions...

Can Alex Scott find another job, she's not as rich as some of the others.
Will we be clapping LIneker on a Weds evening and then throwing him to the wolves when it doesn't suit the agenda any more?
Where is his union?
Is this end of the BBC extorting a licence fee for this pantomime stuff?
Can we televise the sacking of the BBC Chairman on the BBC?
Where can I get a license refund?

Lol.

[mangocrazy]

It is the language that is being used that is reminiscent of 1930's Germany.

And if anyone manages a decent actual comparison rather than snatched pictures that are sub-GCSE level standard, then we can move on to actions that may be reminiscent of 1930's Germany, when we'll draw parallels with the Labour Party and their anti-Semitic behaviour.

Thanks, but I'll decline the offer to head down that particular rabbit hole. My point was that all the sound and fury seems to be that GL was comparing the current gummint to Nazi Germany. He wasn't, he was saying the language employed is similar and in that respect he is correct.

[mangocrazy]

What qualifies anyone to make political comment?

Being able to qualify it rather than just throw it out there.

Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary (Suella Braverman's counterpart) said (when asked about whether she supports Mr Lineker) - "No, I don't. I think that was wrong. I think he was wrong to say that. I just don't think you should make comparisons with the 1930s. Look, we can have a debate about all sorts of different aspects, and people will take different views about different aspects of policies and issues and so on. But I don't think you should make those sorts of comparisons."

So can anyone argue against her, and with some clarity, explain why Lineker was right to compare the language used by the government to the anti-Semitic Nazi government of the 1930's, and why you disagree with both Home Secretaries.

Nice try, another rabbit hole to sidestep. Basically if someone agrees with your position, they're qualified. If not, they're not.

[Potter]

Basically if someone agrees with your position, they're qualified. If not, they're not.

That's not true, but I say Lineker was wrong to make the comparison, both Home Secretaries say the same, and it's not going to get resolved on a motorbike forum, so we might as well move on and not fall out over it

I've got no issue if it brings down the whole BBC and Lineker becomes the next Labour PM.
As I said pages ago, I quite like him, but he's overextended himself and riled up a bunch of tabloid Karens.

It's nothing but entertainment for me, but if I was a struggling working bloke trying to feed my family in the UK then I'd be a bit miffed that this is the biggest news story.

[Yorick]

After being binned from MOTD Gary is apparently going to star in a remake of "When the boat comes in" !

[Yambo]

You've just brought a new house, work in the NHS I believe and show all the signs of wanting to stay in the UK.

Are you a Nazi?

[G.P]

After being binned from MOTD Gary is apparently going to star in a remake of "When the boat comes in" !

"Taxi for Yorick, Taxi for Yoruck"

[Yorick]

Screenshot_20230311_123129_Facebook.jpg (276.66 KiB) Viewed 287 times

[Ant]

I was listening to an interview this morning with a Jewish chap who's the chair of the holocaust committee. He said that the Jewish community are disgusted with Mr Linekars comparison.

The UK is trying to stop illegal immigration and people trafficking, that's not what nazi Germany were doing. Nazi Germany were killing Jewish people, that's not what the UK wants to do. In Germany they were not turning down migrants or any kind, asylum seekers or not. I still think people are not understanding the difference between illegal people trafficking and what it is to be an asylum seeker making your way through Western safe Europe, there just is no need to then seek the channels of an illegal trafficking gang when in France, if you're seeking asylum.

[Potter]

This is a shame - https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64919789

The government's rejection of all but one application for bathing water status for English rivers is "very disappointing", environmentalists say.
Part of the River Deben in Suffolk is still in the running but campaigners for clean water say proposals for eight other river sites were declined.
Designation as an official bathing site obliges the Environment Agency to regularly test water quality.

[mangocrazy]

Basically if someone agrees with your position, they're qualified. If not, they're not.

That's not true, but I say Lineker was wrong to make the comparison, both Home Secretaries say the same, and it's not going to get resolved on a motorbike forum, so we might as well move on and not fall out over it

I've got no issue if it brings down the whole BBC and Lineker becomes the next Labour PM.
As I said pages ago, I quite like him, but he's overextended himself and riled up a bunch of tabloid Karens.

It's nothing but entertainment for me, but if I was a struggling working bloke trying to feed my family in the UK then I'd be a bit miffed that this is the biggest news story.

Not going to fall out over that

The Opposition can see a potential banana skin to trip up on here, so are playing it cagily. Suella Braverman will, of course, be outraged at any criticism and will want GL's head on a plate. No surprises there, then. Agree entirely that it's a total non-story in terms of effect on the man on the Clapham omnibus. There are far more important things to focus on; cost of living and energy prices for starters. But this 'stop the boats' thing was always a piece of red meat to get the Tory heartlands salivating.

[Hoonercat]

I was listening to an interview this morning with a Jewish chap who's the chair of the holocaust committee. He said that the Jewish community are disgusted with Mr Linekars comparison.

The UK is trying to stop illegal immigration and people trafficking, that's not what nazi Germany were doing. Nazi Germany were killing Jewish people, that's not what the UK wants to do. In Germany they were not turning down migrants or any kind, asylum seekers or not. I still think people are not understanding the difference between illegal people trafficking and what it is to be an asylum seeker making your way through Western safe Europe, there just is no need to then seek the channels of an illegal trafficking gang when in France, if you're seeking asylum.

And leading up to the point where they began 'killing Jewish people', they went through a process of removing their human and legal rights before, in 1938, detaining 17,000 Jewish citizens and forcibly deporting them to another country (Poland, in this case).

This new UK immigration bill aims to remove the legal rights of those arriving by boat, detain them and forcibly deport them to another country.

By 1940, the Nazi's were looking to deport all Jews to Madagascar. The UK prefers Rwanda...
But yeah, no similarities

[JackyJoll]

A (slightly) more valid comparison would be with the 1930s British press and a large segment of the British politicians back then.

Still a bit unsatisfactory, but nearer the mark.

[irie]

Basically if someone agrees with your position, they're qualified. If not, they're not.

That's not true, but I say Lineker was wrong to make the comparison, both Home Secretaries say the same, and it's not going to get resolved on a motorbike forum, so we might as well move on and not fall out over it

I've got no issue if it brings down the whole BBC and Lineker becomes the next Labour PM.
As I said pages ago, I quite like him, but he's overextended himself and riled up a bunch of tabloid Karens.

It's nothing but entertainment for me, but if I was a struggling working bloke trying to feed my family in the UK then I'd be a bit miffed that this is the biggest news story.

Not going to fall out over that

The Opposition can see a potential banana skin to trip up on here, so are playing it cagily. Suella Braverman will, of course, be outraged at any criticism and will want GL's head on a plate. No surprises there, then. Agree entirely that it's a total non-story in terms of effect on the man on the Clapham omnibus. There are far more important things to focus on; cost of living and energy prices for starters. But this 'stop the boats' thing was always a piece of red meat to get the Tory heartlands salivating.

So you think that trying to reduce spending from about £5.5m per day, that's over £2bn per year, on providing hotel accommodation alone for people who have illegally entered the UK is simply "red meat"?