Simon McCoy slams BBC colleague Gary Lineker for breaking impartiality after Boris Johnson tweet

Newsreader Simon McCoy slams BBC colleague Gary Lineker for ‘abusing his position’ and breaking impartiality after Match of the Day host accused Boris Johnson of lying 

  • Boris Johnson stood by top aide despite allegations of him breaking lockdown 
  • As the PM defended Dominic Cummings, Lineker tweeted: ‘Please. Stop. Lying.’ 
  • Simon McCoy suggested that he’d breached BBC rules on impartiality 
  • But Lineker hit back, saying that does not apply to sports journalists  
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Newsreader Simon McCoy has slammed his BBC colleague Gary Lineker for ‘abusing his position’ after the Match of the Day host accused Boris Johnson of lying.

The news anchor slammed the sports pundit after Lineker sounded off about Boris Johnson’s coronavirus briefing last night.

The Prime Minister last night stood by chief advisor Dominic Cummings despite allegations he broke lockdown rules three times.

Pictured: Gary Lineker

Simon McCoy (left) has attacked Gray Lineker (right) for his tweet during the press conference 

As Johnson claimed his top aide had acted responsibly by driving from London to Durham, Lineker tweeted: ‘Please. Stop. Lying.’

McCoy hit out at the presenter by suggesting that sharing his opinion on social media undermined BBC impartiality rules. 

He said: ‘Please. Stop. If you speak for yourself – write a letter. If you’re speaking for BT Sport – up to you.

‘But if you are speaking with your BBC hat on – you are abusing a position which puts BBC journalists in an impossible position.’

Lineker refused to back down and told the news anchor that it was he who did not understand the broadcaster’s rules for staff. 

‘Check the rules,’ he said. ‘That only applies to those who work in news or current affairs. I speak for me. No one else. Good day.’

It isn’t the first time the Match of the Day host has hit out at the Government over Cummings’ trip to Durham

When the news broke, he tweeted: ‘Rules are made to be broken. Hard therefore not to conclude that lockdown is broken.’

He also said: ‘Not sure how this Dom com will end. This, though, should not be about what party you support. It shouldn’t be about whether you’re leave or remain.

‘None of that should matter one iota. This is about right and wrong. This is about the truth. This is about trust.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk