Boxing promoter Frank Warren has hit back at England football legend Gary Lineker with a fiery retort to the BBC host’s views on UK migration.
Lineker was controversially removed from his Match of the Day hosting duties last year after he likened the Conservative government’s migration plan to that of Nazi Germany. The government sought to prevent tens of thousands of migrants from crossing the English Channel annually with a new bill that denied asylum to those who reached the UK by unauthorised means, deporting them “to their home country or a safe third country.”
Lineker faced suspension from the Beeb after he labelled the plan as “immeasurably cruel” on X (formerly known as Twitter) and compared the government’s language to “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”
Now, Warren, a proud Londoner, argues that Lineker was wrong to criticise the policy so vocally, insisting that “the floodgates have opened,” adding “And it is changing the fabric of our society, there’s no doubt about that,” he told The Telegraph. “I don’t think you should have to be ashamed about being British. But if you’re a white guy, over 50 years of age, you’re starting to be treated as an outsider, as if you don’t matter.”
At 72, he doesn’t necessarily see himself as an outsider, stating: “Not particularly. I’m lucky. I’m in a business where people want free tickets. But I do see the issue elsewhere, and I don’t think it’s right. I didn’t agree with Gary Lineker last year when he put out that tweet about the Conservatives’ asylum policy, saying it was similar to 1930s Germany.
“Seriously, what the f*** are you talking about? Nazi Germany? We’re allowing people in, not taking their property off them. We’re a welcoming country.
“But we should be welcoming legal immigrants, making them go through the process. This illegal dimension is changing the dynamics around schools, housing, hospitals. It’s totally unacceptable.”
The outspoken figure also sanctioned the playing of the Saudi Arabian anthem at Wembley before Anthony Joshua’s defeat to Daniel Dubois, citing protocol due to financial backing from the Riyadh Season. He explains it akin to Eddie Hearn’s supporting stance.
Warren elaborated passionately on national pride, saying, “Of course I want to be up there celebrating the British national anthem,” remarking how Britain now holds sway in boxing, a marked change from his own youth. Yet still, he feels, “When I was growing up, Britain didn’t have a heavyweight champion of the world. Now we dominate the division. But I do think that we, as a nation, have lost something.”
“The Iranians talk about America and other Western countries being the enemies they don’t even mention us. We’re not there. Then you have Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, saying that we don’t have the equipment to shoot down the missiles falling on Israel. We’re a little island, but we have stood up against oppression for centuries and still maintained our identity. So, where has our standing gone? “.
Warren, who has been at the forefront of boxing promotion for over four decades, dismissed the notion that being a public figure comes with new challenges in today’s social climate.
“Nah, not me,” he declared. “I couldn’t give a s***. And the people who keep talking about free speech should back themselves more. If you’re on TV or radio, don’t be guarded just because you’re afraid of losing your job.”
He also shared his views on contemporary social issues, stating, “It’s wokeism. I guess I’m an old guy now. Look at it another way. Do I want my 10-year-old granddaughter going to Wembley and having to use the same bathrooms as men who are out on the beer? No I don’t.”