- British Broadcasting Company Chairman Richard Sharp announced his resignation after controversy about role in arranging loans for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
- An independent report probing the allegations found that Sharp breached rules for public appointments.
- The chairman also mentioned he was quitting to “prioritize the interests of the BBC” after making an “inadvertent” breach of the rules.
- Richard Sharp has been accused of helping to arrange the line of credit for the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson weeks before he was appointed to the BBC post on the government’s recommendation.
- “There is a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp was recommended for appointment because he assisted the former prime minister in a private financial matter,” the lawyer found.
- Sharp has denied he got the job as a quid pro quo for helping out the cash-strapped Johnson
British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Chairman Richard Sharp announced his resignation after controversy about role in arranging loans for former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson. Sharp resigned over involvement in securing a private credit line for up to $990,000 for the then-PM Boris Johnson from a Canadian businessman. An independent report probing the allegations found that Sharp breached rules for public appointments.
Sharp said he had agreed to a request to stay on until the end of June to give the government time to find his successor. The chairman also mentioned he was quitting to “prioritize the interests of the BBC” after making an “inadvertent” breach of the rules.
Richard Sharp has been accused of helping to arrange the line of credit for the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson weeks before he was appointed to the BBC post on the government’s recommendation.
The 800,000-pound ($1 million) line of credit came from a wealthy Canadian businessman, who was introduced to Johnson by Sharp, a Conservative Party donor. Johnson was the party’s leader as well as British prime minister. While he was being considered for the BBC job, Sharp in late 2020 put Johnson in contact with a distant cousin of the prime minister who extended him a credit facility of £800,000 ($1 million).
The country’s public appointments watchdog has been investigating the way in which Richard Sharp was selected by the government to chair the broadcaster in 2021. A report on the incident by a senior lawyer, published Friday found Sharp “failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest.” “There is a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp was recommended for appointment because he assisted the former prime minister in a private financial matter,” the lawyer found. Sharp has denied he got the job as a quid pro quo for helping out the cash-strapped Johnson.
The report found that while he did breach the government’s code for public appointments by failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest, it was also the case that a breach did not necessarily invalidate his appointment.
(With agency inputs)
