This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament
Rejected petition Govt politicians not to influence BBC staff/contractors free speech views.
Rejected on
To enact legislation to protect bbc staff/contractors from political bias and allow them to express free speech through external channels as suits.
The treatment of Gary Lineker is a disgrace and has broader connotations. The UK is in danger of losing its ability to tolerate free speech and that is unacceptable in a democratic world.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
We can only accept petitions about things the Government or Parliament are directly responsible for.
Decisions about the terms of conditions of BBC staff, including guidance around social media use, are a matter for the BBC, not the UK Government or Parliament.
The BBC is an independent body governed by a Royal Charter. Under the terms of that Charter, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations.
Since you started your petition the BBC has announced that there will be an independent review on social media guidelines.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.