London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Richard Sharp: PM declines to say if he backs under-fire BBC chairman

Richard Sharp: PM declines to say if he backs under-fire BBC chairman

Rishi Sunak has declined to say whether he has confidence in the BBC chairman, saying he cannot speculate while an inquiry is held into his appointment.
Richard Sharp is under scrutiny after it emerged he had acted as a go-between for a loan guarantee for then-prime minister Boris Johnson.

An MPs' committee has said Mr Sharp made "significant errors of judgement" in doing this while applying for the BBC job.

He insists he got the job on merit.

Questioned on Monday, Mr Sunak said he would not "pre-judge" the outcome of an investigation by the government's appointments watchdog.

Asked whether Mr Sharp had undermined the impartiality of the BBC, Mr Sunak said the controversy over his appointment related "to a process that happened before I was prime minister".

Mr Sunak said he couldn't "speculate" or "prejudge the outcome" of an inquiry by the independent office for public appointments, which he said would determine whether "rules and procedures were adhered to".

Later, asked directly if Mr Sunak had confidence in Mr Sharp, the prime minister's official spokesperson said: "Yes, we are confident the process was followed.

"This was a two-stage process, including assessment by an advisory assessment panel, constituted according to the public appointments code.

"But there is a review into this process and we will look at that carefully."

The spokesperson twice repeated No 10 was "confident" in the process but refused to expand further, citing the ongoing investigation.

At the fourth time of questioning, when asked "does Richard Sharp retain the Prime Minister's support?", the spokesperson replied: "Yes, again I don't have much more beyond what I have already said."

Pressure is growing on the BBC chairman after a critical report by MPs found he showed "significant errors of judgement" in acting as a go-between for Sam Blyth, a Canadian millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson.

Mr Blyth had said he was willing to act as guarantor on a loan reportedly worth up to £800,000 for the then-PM after reading media reports he was in financial difficulty.

Mr Sharp, who was working as a Treasury adviser at the time, approached Simon Case, the country's most senior civil servant, to arrange a meeting between the pair.

At the time he had already applied for the BBC job and was advised to have no further involvement in the talks.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee published a critical report on Sunday, concluding he should not have become involved in the facilitation of a loan while applying for the BBC job.

It found that Mr Sharp should have disclosed his knowledge of the talks when asked to provide a written account of his potential conflicts of interest during his application.

The report's authors urged him to "consider the impact his omissions will have on trust in him, the BBC and the public appointments process".

Mr Sharp insists his involvement in the matter ended with that single meeting, despite admitting he met socially with Mr Johnson and Mr Blyth at Chequers months later.

Last week he told MPs he "didn't arrange the loan" but did not refute acting as a "sort of introduction agency". He also described himself as a "go-between" for Mr Blyth and the Cabinet Office.

He admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had "acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed".

"As a go-between I was not between Mr Blyth and Mr Johnson, but I was actually seeking to ensure that due process was followed by ensuring that Mr Blyth had contact with the Cabinet Office before he would do anything to help his cousin," he added.

Veteran BBC broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby told BBC Newsnight "what [Mr Sharp] should do honourably is fall on his sword".

He warned the credibility of the corporation in the public's view was at stake, adding "the BBC needs this like it needs a hole in the head".

The chairman is in charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain, among other things.

Under the terms of the BBC Charter, the government must hold a "fair and open competition" to find a suitable candidate.

Once ministers have chosen a preferred candidate from the applicants, the prospective chairman has to submit themselves for questioning by a parliamentary select committee.

The culture secretary can formally dismiss them from the post following consultation with the rest of the BBC's governing board if they decide they are "unable, unfit or unwilling" to perform their duty.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×