SHARP ENDING
Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chairman after report finds he breached rules over £800k loan guarantee to Boris Johnson
BBC chairman Richard Sharp has today QUIT following a cronyism row into how he bagged the job.
The broadcast boss resigned this morning after a probe ruled he breached the rules for public appointments.
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Mr Sharp has been embroiled in a storm after it was alleged he helped secure an £800,000 loan for then PM Boris Johnson before landing the influential position at the national broadcaster.
An investigation by barrister Adam Heppinstall, published this morning, found he "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest" during his application.
The top lawyer found two breaches. The first was that Mr Sharp informed Mr Johnson of his wish to apply for the BBC job before submitting his application.
And the second was attempting to introduce Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to Canadian millionaire Sam Blyth to facilitate the loan.
This morning the ex-banker announced he will stand down in June - sparing Rishi Sunak having to sack his former Goldman Sachs boss.
In a statement, Mr Sharp said: "Mr Heppinstall's view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.
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"Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.
"Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC."
Mr Sharp added: "I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.
"I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board."
The ex-Chair said he "wishes" that "with the benefit of hindsight" he'd declared the help to BoJo as a potential perceived conflict of interest.
In a letter responding to the resignation, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer praised Mr Sharp for being "held in high regard" by the Beeb board.
"You have clearly demonstrated your commitment to public service and I especially applaud the work you did during the pandemic," Ms Frazer said.
Your decision to step down in the wider interests of the corporation is further testament to that commitment.
"Certainty and stability for the corporation are clearly a shared priority.
This morning Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell accused Mr Sharp of having caused "untold damage" to the BBC's reputation.
She said: “The report is clear: Mr Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.
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“As a result, this breach has caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives’ sleaze and cronyism.
“Rishi Sunak should urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much.”
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