BBC issues new social media rules for top stars: ‘It’s a victory for presenter power!’

29 September 2023

New rules granting BBC stars the freedom to post on social media about political issues have been hailed a victory for “presenter power”.

New rules granting BBC stars the freedom to post on social media about political issues have been hailed a victory for ‘presenter power‘

Lord Alan Sugar, 76, joined Gary Lineker, 62, in expressing his approval of the revised guidelines.

Even though the rules require a small group of presenters of flagship programmes outside news and current affairs, including Lord Sugar and Gary, to refrain from endorsing or attacking a political party because of their “profile on the BBC”.

But they can express their views on immigration and other topical issues.

Other freelance presenters can weigh in on political controversies without breaching the BBC’s impartiality requirements, according to a new report that followed a review into the corporation’s social media guidelines, which was published by former ITN boss John Hardie.

Gary – recently caught in a storm over his political messages online that earlier this year led to him being suspended and reinstated by the BBC – said on X the new rules were “all very sensible”.

A BBC News source told The Independent: “This is a victory for presenter power. It confirms the climbdown Tim Davie (the BBC’s director-general) had to make over Lineker.

“Outside of news, there is a green light to share your views on any topic. The problem will be when the BBC gets dragged into controversial non-party political issues, like trans rights, by a presenter's remarks."

The new rules are the result of the BBC commissioning a review into how staff should use social media, after Gary likened the UK government's language over the arrival of refugees in Britain to 1930s Germany on Twitter, now known as X.

Lord Sugar pledged to abide by the BBC's new social media guidelines.

In 2019, the former Labour peer urged voters to reject it’s party’s then-leader Jeremy Corbyn and back the Conservatives.

Such a message would be banned under the new rules, which state that presenters cannot "endorse or attack a political party".

A spokesman for the business tycoon said: “Lord Sugar is in receipt of the new rules and will abide by them.”

Other individuals working at the BBC aren’t required to abide by impartiality on social media, but are expected to follow the rules on “respect” and “civility” in their posts.