Keir Starmer has urged Rishi Sunak to stand up to “snowflake” Tory MPs calling for the BBC to sack Gary Lineker.

The leader of the opposition said the Conservatives had caused a “farcical weekend” which saw the “national broadcaster being accused of dancing to the government’s tune by its own employees.”

“Rather than blaming everyone else, why doesn’t he take some responsibility and stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech?” Mr Starmer asked the prime minister.

Mr Sunak responded by calling Labour’s claims “usual political opportunism”.