Richard Sharp: The BBC chairman denies giving financial advice to Boris Johnson

Richard Sharp described his relationship with Mr Johnson as “largely professional”.

BBC leader Richard Sharp said he did not provide financial advice to Boris Johnson as prime minister.

There was controversy over Mr Sharp’s role in loan talks with Mr Johnson, which took place before the then Prime Minister appointed him chairman of the BBC board.

The Government has previously said Mr Sharp was appointed on merit.

Mr Sharp told the House of Commons Committee on Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on Tuesday he had failed to provide Mr Johnson with a loan.

MPs questioned Mr Sharp vigorously, telling him they could not understand why he had not been “open and transparent” about his involvement in the loan talks during his appointment process. The Sunday Times later reported.

Mr Sharp confirmed he had introduced his friend Sam Blyth to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case in late 2020, just ahead of his appointment to the BBC.

“Introduction Agency”

Mr Sharp previously said Mr Blyth offered to act as guarantor on a loan – reportedly worth up to £800,000 – after reading about Mr Johnson’s money woes in the media.

On Tuesday, Mr Sharp agreed with the chairman of the committee of office, Damian Green, that he had acted “as a kind of mediation agency” between Mr Blyth and Mr Case.

He said he then “raised with Mr Blyth the fact that I had submitted my application to chair the BBC and therefore, to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, I could not have further participation – and we were each other.” agree in whatever happened. And I didn’t.

Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister in September

Mr Sharp described his relationship with Mr Johnson as “largely professional” and that he only knew of the PM’s financial woes from press reports.

He told the committee: “I also want to make it clear that I never gave the former Prime Minister any financial advice, he never asked for it, he never received it from me.”

He added: “I have not and have not given the former Prime Minister any personal financial advice, I know nothing of his [financial] Things I never did.”

Mr Blyth’s second cousin is Stanley Johnson, the former Prime Minister’s father.

Mr Sharp explained: “I said to him [Mr Blyth] then: “You may be a family member, but you have to be very careful. Things have to be done by the book. There are rules in this country and those rules are there for a reason.

“[I told Mr Blyth,] “You are a foreigner and therefore you should involve the Cabinet Office before considering doing anything or supporting the Prime Minister.”

William Shawcross, the Public Appointments Officer, was set to investigate how Mr Sharp got the BBC job but stayed aside because of previous contacts between the two.

Adam Heppinstall KC has since been appointed to replace Mr. Shawcross to review the appointment.

Mr Sharp’s appointment is also said to be scrutinized in a separate inquiry by the BBC board, which will examine his current personal interests for any conflicts.

Source