Motd

[CalverleyBoy]

it's no wonder L has been chased by the tax man - tried the contractor route but caught out by IR35, apparently paid his tax bill though.

[WTF11]

it's no wonder L has been chased by the tax man - tried the contractor route but caught out by IR35, apparently paid his tax bill though.

Errrrr, wtf has that got to do with the price of eggs? Tens of thousands, (hundreds of thousands probably), have switched from being PAYE slaves to some form of self-employment, either as sole traders, sub-contractors, or a variation (using umbrella companies to escape the dreaded influence of IR35). None of that has the slightest relevance to a person (employed, sub-contracted or otherwise) expressing an opinion via a platform available to EVERYONE, no matter how low or high their standing (social or otherwise). What Lineker said might not be to everyones taste (including the BBC hierarchy and the current government), but many folks died in order to give us a society where the ability to express an opinion some might find offensive, hurtful etc, was enshrined in our society and our values.

Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrased Voltaire, when she is quoted as saying "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. Long may that be so.

[Orgoner]

Voltaire hasn’t enlightened this board for a few seasons now.

Probably distracted by Twitter.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Voltaire hasn’t enlightened this board for a few seasons now.

Probably distracted by Twitter.

Pour encourager les autres ….

[WTF11]

Voltaire hasn’t enlightened this board for a few seasons now.

Probably distracted by Twitter.

Thought I'd just try and lift the intellectual level a bit

[spaldy]

I generally find that people like this guy that are quick to tell others how to think and live their lives are the first to duck paying taxes and avoiding regulations/laws. "Celebrities are the second worst at it. Of course, politicians are heads and tails above everyone else.

In the US an incredibly high number of DC politicians are behind or don't pay their taxes and violate laws and regulations with impunity. They can't be prosecuted by the IRS. Only a "congressional ethics committee" can find them guilty. Of course, most of those committee members would be felons or tax evaders if they weren't congress critters.

[LeedsFTW]

I don't care about Linekers punditry, celebrity, tax status or anything else.

What I do applaud is that he called out something that is morally and ethically wrong, all the rest is just noise.

[CalverleyBoy]

Errrrr, wtf has that got to do with the price of eggs? Tens of thousands, (hundreds of thousands probably), have switched from being PAYE slaves to some form of self-employment, either as sole traders, sub-contractors, or a variation (using umbrella companies to escape the dreaded influence of IR35). None of that has the slightest relevance to a person (employed, sub-contracted or otherwise) expressing an opinion via a platform available to EVERYONE, no matter how low or high their standing (social or otherwise). What Lineker said might not be to everyones taste (including the BBC hierarchy and the current government), but many folks died in order to give us a society where the ability to express an opinion some might find offensive, hurtful etc, was enshrined in our society and our values.

Evelyn Beatrice Hall paraphrased Voltaire, when she is quoted as saying "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. Long may that be so.

Point being, BBC treating him like a member of staff not a contractor

[WTF11]

Point being, BBC treating him like a member of staff not a contractor

No they haven't m8, they have attempted to impose the same "guidelines" on impartiality that apply to (amongst others) Huw Edwards who is a contractor but present the news for the BBC. He wouldn't be allowed, either during the news broadcast or outside it using Tw4tter as Lineker did, to say what Lineker said, on pain of having his contract terminated. Same penalty would apply to anyone in current affairs who was an employee, who said such things, they would be sacked as it would contravene Ts&Cs for BBC employees in Current Affairs.

Those guidelines I mention don't apply to Lineker, no matter what his employment status, so his use of Tw4tter to say what he said is entirely up to him and the BBC can't do sh1t to stop him (other than not renewing his contract next time round).

And for the record I agree with FTW (post #37)

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I don't care about Linekers punditry, celebrity, tax status or anything else.

What I do applaud is that he called out something that is morally and ethically wrong, all the rest is just noise.

Exactly