OPPOSITION MPs in Westminster are responding to a recent report suggesting Richard Sharp’s actions “constitute a breach of the standards expected of individuals” applying for prominent public appointments.
A report by MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee found the BBC chairman made “significant errors of judgment” by acting as a go-between to help facilitate a loan guarantee for then prime minister Boris Johnson while he was seeking the role with the broadcaster.
Sharp has insisted that he did not arrange the loan but admitted introducing his friend Sam Blyth, a cousin of Johnson who wanted to help the then-prime minister with his financial troubles, to the Cabinet Office.
Both SNP and Labour called his position “untenable” on Sunday morning, and BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg argued that it was in fact the governments reponsibility to remove Sharp, in response to the governement laying responsibility with the BBC.
SNP MP John Nicolson, who sits on the Commons Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, said Richard Sharp’s position is “extremely difficult”.
He told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “He has lost the trust of the BBC staff, that’s very clear, I’ve been deluged with messages from BBC staff saying they don’t see how he can head up the BBC anymore.
“And he broke the rules: the rules are very clear, when you sign up for that job application you are asked if there’s anything about your relationships with anybody that could cause embarrassment.
“This has clearly caused embarrassment.
“We knew he was a big Tory donor; we knew he had given hundreds of thousands to the Conservative Party, but what he didn’t tell us was that he had facilitated an £800,000 loan for Boris Johnson, the prime minister, who then gave him the job.
“It’s all a bit banana republic.”
Shadow Cabinet minister Lisa Nandy said Richard Sharp’s position at the BBC was untenable.
She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday the report by MPs was a “really serious development and it makes Richard Sharp’s position increasingly untenable”.
The shadow levelling up secretary said: “The Government has relied on the defence that the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee approved this appointment, but the Culture, Media and Sport Committee today is saying that actually, had they known about this, it would have been a very different situation, this information was not disclosed to them prior to approving that appointment.
“Increasingly the circumstances around the relationship between the Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson and Richard Sharp is looking more and more murky and I think his position is becoming increasingly untenable as a result.”
She added: “It’s becoming more and more difficult to see how Richard Sharp can continue in that role.”
Decisions on the future of Richard Sharp are now a matter for the BBC, government minister Andrew Mitchell said.
Development Minister Andrew Mitchell told Sky News: ” I think this is really now a matter for the BBC and also, of course, the Commissioner for Public Appointments has made clear that they are going to have a look at it.”
Mitchell said, “we will see whether there are other lessons to be learned”.
On whether Sharp’s position was untenable, Mitchell said: “We shouldn’t rush to judgment on that we should allow this process to conclude. And then in the end, it will be a matter for the BBC, of which he is the chairman, to make a final decision.”
However, presenter Laura Kuenssberg put to him on her Sunday show that the power to remove Sharp form position lay with the governement. She read segments of the BBC charter which outlined the only way to remove sharp was through his own resignation, being sent to a governement minister, or a vote for termination of contract by the Privvy Council, a governement body.
Mitchell reiterated the BBC board would make the decision.
