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Gary Lineker silences Tory MP by signing up to house asylum seekers
Match of the Day and football legend Gary Lineker. Picture: Jack Taylor/Getty Images - Credit: Getty Images
Match of the Day star Gary Lineker had the perfect response to a Tory MP who called him out for not putting up asylum seekers in his own home.
Lineker tweeted in response to the news that Priti Patel and the UK government were looking to send out the Royal Navy to monitor the situation in the England Channel.
He tweeted: 'Can we make it clear that not everyone in this country is heartless and completely without empathy. These poor people deserve the help of their fellow human beings.'
It prompted Ashfield Tory MP Lee Anderson to wade into the debate, saying he would sign him up to take 'the next boat of illegal immigrants'.
He told talkRADIO: 'People like Gary Lineker, those people who like to virtue signal on social media about how we should be a welcoming country and that the people who don't want to see these desperate people coming here should be ashamed of themselves, what do you say to him?'
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He added: 'If Gary Lineker wants to email me his full name, address, postcode and details of the accommodation that he currently resides in, I will make sure that's available for the next boat of illegal immigrants to come and live in - bed and breakfast of course.
'It's the liberal left again, virtue signalling, trying to say all the right things, trying to tweet out the right messages on social media to look popular.
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'But I'll tell you what, it's not popular, because the silent majority in this country are right behind the common sense group.'
Anderson tweeted the video with the message: 'A reasonable offer'.
The comments provoked Twitter users to goad Lineker asking if he had yet housed any refugees.
'Not yet', he responded, providing a screenshot of an e-mail from Refugees At Home - a refugee sheltering charity - confirming he had signed up to house some.
The e-mail read: 'Thank you for contacting us with an offer to host a guest. We will contact you shortly.'
'Oh, Gary Lineker, I bloody love you,' tweeted Emma Mort in praise.
'One of the classiest things I've seen on this platform,' wrote Yashaar Mall.
'You know it's 2020 when a 'football pundit' is leading the way in social justice,' posted Jack Mayor.
'The truth is that Lineker or anyone else shouldn't have to personally take in refugees to amplify their cause using a personal platform,' tweeted @BeardedGenius. 'Having basic empathy isn't a hollow gesture, especially now when so much of the media lack it. But of course this is a great extra commitment'.
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