LONDON: Richard Sharp, the chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has resigned from his post over his involvement in an £800,000 ($1 million) loan to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sharp had acted as a go-between to facilitate the loan, which had raised questions about the broadcaster’s impartiality. The controversy had already caused a distraction for both the broadcaster and the government, with Sharp’s close past ties to the Conservative party being heavily criticised by opposition parties.
Sharp, who denied any wrongdoing, stepped down to avoid becoming “a distraction from the Corporation’s good work”. However, an inquiry by a senior lawyer found that he had “failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest” to a committee of lawmakers who were vetting his appointment by Boris Johnson in early 2021. The inquiry also found that there was a risk of a perception that Sharp was recommended for the BBC job because he assisted the former PM in a private financial matter.
Appointment of BBC chairperson
Sharp’s resignation has put the British government in the delicate position of finding a successor to one of the country’s highest-profile roles. The appointment of the BBC chairperson lies in the gift of the government, and while opposition parties have called for an end to political appointments, PM Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out another political appointee.
The controversy has also led to criticism of the Conservative Party’s attempts to muzzle the publicly funded BBC. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer thanked Richard Sharp for his service, but opposition Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey accused the Conservatives of dragging the BBC through the mud. “Everything Conservative party politicians touch turns into a mess. They are not fit to govern the UK,” he said.
Sharp’s resignation comes after the BBC suspended former England footballer Gary Lineker from its flagship football highlights show for accusing the Rishi Sunak government of using Nazi-era rhetoric in promoting its immigration policies. The Sharp-led board reinstated Lineker after other presenters refused to work, throwing the BBC’s sports schedule into chaos.
In a statement, Sharp acknowledged breaching conflict-of-interest rules for top officials of the UK but said it was “inadvertent and not material” to his appointment to the BBC as chairman. “Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC,” Sharp said.
