FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The former England footballer – the taxpayer-funded corporation’s highest paid presenter on £1.7million a year – uses Twitter to spread near daily anti-Brexit and pro-immigration messages. Many fellow broadcasters feel the 58-year-old’s political preaching breaches BBC guidelines. But the broadcaster confirmed he was above the law because he is a sports presenter.

Lineker’s calls for a so-called People’s Vote to settle Brexit have irritated millions, not least because he uses his high-profile to spread his messages. The twice-divorced father-of-four, who has amassed a £30million personal fortune thanks to his squeaky clean image, finds the furore over his rants hilarious. But Tory MP David Davies said: “He has been given a platform to express his pro-EU, anti-controlled immigration ideology to all and sundry, but is in position of enormous responsibility, and it’s about time he acted as such.”

Gary Lineker uses Twitter to spread near daily anti-Brexit and pro-immigration messages

Colleague, Jonathan Agnew

Guidelines state that BBC staff and freelancers working for BBC News and Current Affairs must not state or reveal publicly how they vote or express support for any political party, express a view for or against any policy which is a matter of current party political debate on subjects such as Brexit. But because Lineker works for BBC Sport, and is technically not an employee, he is able to circumvent rules. And he has mocked those who have told him to rein in his dogma, including mild-mannered BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew who had told him: “Observe BBC guidelines.” But Lineker replied: “Oh dear, looks like I don’t need to stick to football. My deepest apologies in advance.”

Lineker spreads his anti-Brexit message