In response to charges that the BBC chairman assisted him in obtaining an £800,000 loan when he was prime minister, Boris Johnson today called the claims total rubbish.
The claims about Richard Sharp’s participation, according to the former prime minister, are “simply another example of the BBC vanishing up its own foundation.”
Mr. Johnson, who just returned to London after a weekend excursion to the Ukraine, also asserted that Mr. Sharp “knows absolutely nothing about my personal money.”
According to rumors, Mr. Sharp participated in discussions in November and December 2020 about how to set up a loan guarantee for Mr. Johnson.
The conversations allegedly took occurred only a few weeks before the then-PM suggested Mr. Sharp for the position of BBC chairman.
Former Goldman Sachs banker and current PM Rishi Sunak’s advisor while he served as Chancellor, Mr. Sharp, has demanded an internal probe into any potential “conflicts of interest.”
He acknowledged in a statement that the controversy had been a “distraction” for the BBC, but he claimed that he had been appointed chairman “on merit.”
According to reports, Mr. Johnson obtained a loan of up to £800,000 in late 2020, when he was having problems paying for his divorce settlement, childcare expenses, and renovation charges for his Downing Street apartment.
Sam Blyth, a multimillionaire Canadian businessman and a distant relative of Mr. Johnson, reportedly suggested serving as the PM’s guarantor and sought Mr. Sharp’s counsel on the best course of action.
The loan was allegedly finalized at a private dinner at Chequers between Mr. Johnson, Mr. Sharp, and Mr. Blyth, according to the newspaper. Mr. Sharp allegedly afterwards addressed the subject with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
Labour has demanded an investigation into Mr. Sharp’s eventual nomination as BBC chairman in January 2021, a position for which he is said to have already applied before beginning discussions concerning Mr. Johnson’s loan.
When questioned about the claims this morning, Mr. Johnson told Sky News, “This is a bunch of pure rubbish.
“Let me just say, Richard Sharp is a nice and knowledgeable guy, but I can tell you with perfect certainty that he has no knowledge of my financial affairs.
“This is simply another instance of the BBC vanishing up its own foundation,” one person said.
During this morning’s visit to a hospital in Northamptonshire, Mr. Sunak was also questioned about the dispute.
The PM stated that Mr. Sharp through a “rigorous” and “independent” hiring procedure before becoming BBC head. The PM is also being questioned about the tax troubles of Tory party chairman Nadhim Zahawi.
Before I became prime minister, this nomination was undoubtedly made by one of my predecessors, according to Mr. Sunak.
“The selection procedure for the BBC chairman is rigorous, impartial, divided into two phases, open to public scrutiny, and made public online.”
“That whole procedure was followed in Mr. Sharp’s appointment.”
The BBC crew has received an apology from Mr. Sharp personally for the “distraction” the argument has created.
He acknowledged in a statement that he had discussed financial assistance for Mr. Johnson with Mr. Blyth and Mr. Case at a time when he had already made an application to lead the BBC.
He said that he and Mr. Case “both agreed that I should have no further involvement in the subject to prevent any conflict.”
He said, “At that time, there was no specific information on the intended arrangements, and I had no idea if such help was available or could be agreed upon.”
“Since that meeting, I have not participated in any procedure in any way.” Even today, I don’t know any more about a loan or stated guarantee than what is published in the media.
Mr. Sharp asserted that he “was nominated on merit, through a process that was objectively overseen” in his statement to “put out the facts.”
Additionally, he emphasized that throughout the former prime minister’s tenure as mayor of London, he had served as an advisor for Mr. Johnson and had “never obscured my longtime connection” with him.
The BBC has numerous issues, and Mr. Sharp said, “I recognize that diversions like these are not appreciated.”
“Trust is at the heart of what we do at the BBC.” Even though the Government alone is responsible for appointing the BBC chairman, I want to make sure that since my hiring, the BBC has complied with all applicable regulations.
“The BBC board’s nominations committee is responsible for periodically reviewing board members’ conflicts of interest, and I have agreed with the board’s senior independent director, Sir Nicholas Serota, that the committee shall assess this at its upcoming meeting, reporting to the board, and in the interests of transparency publish the findings.”
Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary for Labour, yesterday wrote to William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, requesting that he look into Mr. Sharp’s appointment procedure.
“The BBC has no part in the recruitment of the Chair,” a BBC spokeswoman said. “Any questions are a matter for the Government.”
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