"Gary Lineker can afford to stand his ground - the BBC can't"

Last Friday, former football star Gary Lineker was suspended from his job as a presenter at the BBC.

This after criticizing the British government's asylum policy.

In a tweet, Lineker drew parallels to Nazi Germany, prompting the BBC to suspend him from its 'Match of the Day' football programme.

The BBC defended its decision by saying that Gary Lineker "must stay away from taking a position on partisan issues".

The conflict led over the weekend to the BBC having to cut back on certain broadcasts or to broadcast them without a commentator.

Had to borrow money

That the BBC chose to suspend Lineker in particular has caused the question of the broadcaster's impartiality to explode.

And the question is not new.

- Other employees, who have spoken out politically, have not been suspended, but they were, on the other hand, positive to the government, says James Savage, editor-in-chief of the news site The Local.

Nor were there any consequences when the BBC chairman helped former Prime Minister Boris Johnson get a loan, says James Savage.

- In addition, Gary Lineker has made a political statement in the past that he is in favor of EU membership.

Then he was not suspended.

"Is principled"

This raises the question of whether other BBC employees - who are not journalists - should also be gagged.

- Many stand up for Lineker, even if they don't necessarily agree with him politically.

He is known for being principled and he can afford to stand his ground on this issue, says James Savage.

Instead, the Lineker row could harm the BBC, Savage believes.

- They have handled the issue with a selective hand.

The risk is that the chairman and management may leave.

Hear James Savage explain why the Lineker row has become such a big political issue.