Gary Lineker has been challenged by a Tory MP to settle their bitter feud once and for all – by standing against him at the next general election. The war of words between Jonathan Gullis and the Match of the Day presenter started when the BBC star tweeted his views on the Rwanda migrants scheme.
Mr Gullis, who represents Stoke-on-Trent North, claimed the former England and Tottenham player had breached BBC impartiality guidelines by speaking out about the plan to deport illegal arrivals to the African country.
The Conservative wrote a complaint to Tim Davie, the corporation’s director-general, but Lineker hit back by saying: “Jonathan hasn’t read the new guidelines … or, should I say, had someone read them to him?”
In an interview tonight with journalist Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr Gullis said: “Gary’s constantly trying to get likes on Twitter, or X as it’s now called.”
He said that “if the BBC’s name is going to keep getting dragged through the mud” with “all the many presenters … who have to live by a very different set of rules to Gary Lineker” embarrassed, then it could ultimately end with the “BBC no longer funded by the taxpayer”.
Mr Gullis added: “And then he can do things like Sky do which is be allowed to have reporters have more public opinions.
“Gary needs to spend less time virtue signalling and more time talking about football, which he’s actually very good at. But it’s just a shame that he seems to think that he is a politician in making.
“As I’ve said to him, if he’s really desperate to get into politics, Stoke-on-Trent North, put himself on the ballot paper, let the public decide.”
Asked if he would beat Lineker at the ballot box, Mr Gullis replied: “Absolutely.”
It is not the first time Mr Gullis has challenged Lineker to stand against him, having first made the dare just weeks ago.
