Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Apr 26, 2025

Richard Sharp: Pressure grows on BBC chairman after critical report

Richard Sharp: Pressure grows on BBC chairman after critical report

Pressure is growing on BBC chairman Richard Sharp after a critical report from MPs into his appointment.

He made "significant errors of judgement" acting as a go-between on a loan for Boris Johnson, while applying for the post, the committee said.

The SNP's John Nicolson, a committee member, told the BBC Mr Sharp's position was "extremely difficult".

Mr Sharp said he did not help arrange a guarantee on the loan or give Mr Johnson financial advice.

Speaking on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Labour's Lisa Nandy also said Mr Sharp's position was becoming "increasingly untenable".

Mr Sharp's involvement in the then-Prime Minister Mr Johnson obtaining an £800,000 loan guarantee has come under scrutiny since the Sunday Times first reported the claims last month.

Businessman Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson and Mr Sharp's friend, had reportedly raised the idea of acting as a loan guarantor for Mr Johnson in 2020.

Mr Sharp was named as the government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship in January 2021 and at the time the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee backed his appointment.

The government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister, on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.

This week the BBC chairman was recalled to appear before the committee and its report was published on Sunday.

Speaking to MPs he said he had introduced his friend Mr Blyth to the Cabinet Office.

In its report, the cross-party committee criticised Mr Sharp's failure to mention any involvement he had in events surrounding the loan when they were considering his suitability for the job two years ago.

The report said his decisions to "become involved in the facilitation of a loan to the then-prime minister while at the same time applying for a job that was in that same person's gift" and failure to disclose this to the committee undermined confidence in the public appointments process.

The MPs concluded: "Mr Sharp should consider the impact his omissions will have on trust in him, the BBC and the public appointments process."

The report, carefully worded, does not say in black and white that he should quit. But it says he should "consider the impact" of what has happened, which is a diplomatic way of raising that point.

On Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the SNP's Mr Nicolson went further than the report had, saying Mr Sharp's position was "extremely difficult" after he "broke the rules".

He said: "He has lost the trust of the BBC staff, that's very clear.

"When you sign up for that job application you are asked if there's anything about your relationships with anybody that could cause embarrassment.

"This has clearly caused embarrassment."

Mr Nicolson said Mr Sharp had not told MPs at the time of his appointment that he had facilitated an £800,000 loan for Mr Johnson "who then gave him the job".

"It's all a bit banana republic," he added.

Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell told the same programme it was up to the BBC to decide what to do over Mr Sharp's future. He also said it was important to wait for a review into his hiring by the watchdog that oversees public appointments.

But he was challenged on this during the programme as according to the BBC charter the chairman can only be removed from post by the government, not the BBC.

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said it was "right that the BBC is able to publish" its own review into Mr Sharp's appointment, and that "due process is followed".

But she added that when the BBC's report was published, if questions still could not be answered, "the integrity of the BBC is more important than one individual".


'Acted in good faith'


This week Mr Sharp told the committee he had met Cabinet Secretary Simon Case in December 2020 to get permission to pass on businessman Mr Blyth's details to him.

However, at the same meeting he had told Mr Case that he had applied for the BBC job, and therefore agreed he would have "no further participation" in order to avoid any conflict of interest or perception of conflict given his application to the BBC.

In its report, the DCMS Committee said Mr Sharp had recognised the need to be "open and transparent" by bringing it to the attention of the cabinet secretary, but "failed to apply the same standards of openness and candour in his decision not to divulge this information during the interview process or to this committee during the pre-appointment hearing [for the BBC job]".

"Mr Sharp's failure to disclose his actions to the panel and the committee, although he believed this to be completely proper, constitute a breach of the standards expected of individuals applying for such public appointments," the report added.

A spokesperson for Mr Sharp said he did not facilitate an introduction between Mr Johnson and Mr Blyth and he was not involved in the arrangement of a loan between them.

"Mr Sharp appreciates that there was information that the committee felt that it should have been made aware of in his pre-appointment hearing. He regrets this and apologises.

"It was in seeking at the time to ensure that the rules were followed, and in the belief that this had been achieved, that Mr Sharp acted in good faith in the way he did."

The spokesperson added: "Mr Sharp believed he had dealt with the issue by proactively briefing the cabinet secretary that he was applying for the role of BBC chair, and therefore beyond connecting Mr Blyth with Mr Case, he recused himself from the matter."

The DCMS Committee report was also critical of ministers who had defended the decision to endorse Mr Sharp in 2021 after the row over the loan broke, despite the fact they had not been told about the situation.

"The fact that ministers have cited this committee's original report on Mr Sharp's appointment as a defence of the process was followed, when we were not in full possession of all the facts that we should have had before us in order to come to our judgement, is highly unsatisfactory," the report said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Mr Sharp was made BBC chairman following two "transparent and rigorous" appointment processes, adding the appointment was made by his predecessor.

According to the Sunday Times, a leaked memo from Mr Case allegedly warned Mr Johnson to "no longer" ask for financial advice from Mr Sharp.

But the MPs in this new report said there was an "unresolved issue" as to why the cabinet secretary had believed Mr Sharp had been giving financial advice to Mr Johnson and called on the Cabinet Office to "clear up the confusion relating to the advice given to the prime minister immediately", given that Mr Sharp had said this was not the case.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on leaks."

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments is still looking into the appointment process of Richard Sharp.

The BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his role as BBC chairman.

It is not known when ether of these reviews will be concluded.


John Nicolson, SNP MP: BBC chairman's position "is extremely difficult"

Labour's Lisa Nandy: BBC chairman's position "increasingly untenable"


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
×