Carol Vorderman leaves BBC radio show so she can keep criticising Tory government

Radio broadcaster Carol Vorderman has quit her BBC Radio Wales show after five years on air so that she can continue to call out the Tory government.

The presenter, who had hosted a weekly Saturday morning show on Radio Wales, explained in a statement that the BBC has introduced a new social media policy, known as the “Lineker clause”, that restricts employee’s abilities to post freely on social media.

Vorderman told fans that she would “not be silenced” and has decided to leave her coveted position so that she can continue to criticise the current government.

In her statement posted to social media on (8 November), Vorderman told her followers: “After five years, I’m leaving my Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales.

“The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines which I respect. However, despite my show being lighthearted with no political content, it was explained to me that as it is a weekly show in my name, the new guidelines would apply to all and any content that I post all year round.

“Since those non-negotiable changes to my radio contract were made, I’ve ultimately found that I’m not prepared to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in.”

She continued: “My decision has been to continue to criticise the current UK government for what it has done to the country which I love – and I’m not prepared to stop. I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on.

“Consequently I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave. We each must make our decisions.

“I’m sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I’ve made at Radio Wales. I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world. We laughed a lot and we will miss each other dearly. But for now, another interesting chapter begins.”

Vorderman’s announcement was met with huge praise from fans and followers who commended her for “sticking to [her] guns” and “not giving up [her] voice.”

Overwhelmed by the positive response, Vorderman said in a follow-up post that she would continue to call out the “disgusting Tory govt with facts & data which the right wing media fails to publish.”

The BBC’s new social media policy was introduced in response to Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker’s refusal to delete comments criticising the UK government earlier this year.

Lineker compared the UK’s asylum policy to 1930s Germany, prompting BBC Director General Tim Davie to suspend the presenter.

When the suspension prompted a staff-wide protest, Davie reinstated Lineker.

The new social media guidelines now require BBC staff and contractors from “flagship prgrammes” to “respect civility in public discourse and to not bring the BBC intro disrepute.”BBC News notes that Vorderman’s Radio Wales show was not listed among the “flagship” shows and that the issue with her posts is “more to do with civility than impartiality.”