Tory MPs have slammed Gary Lineker after it was revealed that he is poised to win an award for his activism.
The Match of the Day host will get the Sport and Human Rights award on Wednesday at an event in Rome.
The award is part of a partnership between Amnesty International and the Italian non-profit Sport4Society to recognise outstanding contributions to human rights in sport.
According to Amnesty International, the former England footballer is a “stalwart advocate for the rights of refugees and migrants.”
However, the BBC presenter, who stirred outrage in March by criticising the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill on Twitter and comparing the language used to that of 1930s Germany, is facing reaction from Conservative MPs.
“It’s another self-congratulatory fest of one woke group to another woke activist,” South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay stated.
“Gary Lineker needs to decide whether he wants to be a politician or a public broadcaster; he can’t do both,” senior Tory Gareth Johnson said.
Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Conservative Common Sense Group, added, “This award is regrettable, but also rather pathetic.”
“Perhaps it’s time for Gary to hang up his microphone, just as he did his boots a long time ago.”
Mr Lineker will accept his trophy with former Palestine captain Natali Shaheen, who presently plays for FC Athena Sassari in the Italian five-a-side division Calcio a 5.
Only a few months ago, the 62-year-old was embroiled in a BBC impartiality issue for tweets criticising the Government’s proposed law to ban small boats.