A resignation was inevitable. The report into Richard Sharp has found the BBC chairman breached the rules in failing to declare, prior to his appointment, his involvement in facilitating an £800,000 loan guarantee to Boris Johnson.
The investigation by Adam Heppinstall KC concluded that Mr Sharp contravened the code on public appointments by not informing the digital, culture, media and sport committee of his financial relationship with the then-prime minister. MPs on the committee previously said Mr Sharp made “significant errors of judgment, which undermine confidence in the public appointments process”.
The BBC chairman ought to be above reproach. Even the perception of a conflict of interest is damaging to the Corporation, which has only recently come through the Gary Lineker affair and is bracing itself for a challenging and potentially tumultuous pre-election period. As the BBC cannot remove its own chairman, it is right that Mr Sharp chose to step down. The next decision is now the vital one — finding a new BBC chairman to take it forward.
Stand by Ukraine
Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and across Ukraine as Vladimir Putin signalled his ongoing commitment to waging death and destruction. A mother and her three-year-old daughter are among the at least 13 people killed as missiles rained over populated areas of the country. That figure is likely to rise as emergency services continue the desperate search for survivors amid the rubble.
And yet the damage might have been even worse — 21 of 23 cruise missiles fired and a further two attack drones were shot down by Ukraine’s air defence system, according to officials. These latest indiscriminate attacks come as Ukrainian forces prepare for a counter-offensive backed up by new equipment supplied by Western allies, including British Challenger 2 tanks.
The UK continues to be a leading voice in Europe in supporting Kyiv. That must not change. The fundamental right of the Ukrainian people — that of self-determination — has not shifted. We must continue to work closely with our allies, maintaining a united front to ensure that the country has the support it needs. And that when peace comes, it will be the best possible one for Ukraine.
HMV’s bold return
Browsing through records at the iconic HMV store on Oxford Street was a rite of passage for music lovers. So it was a shock to many when the shop shut its doors in 2019.
But the music retailer is back — returning to the location of its first shop on Oxford Street, founded in 1921. Even better, it is replacing an American candy store. HMV’s financial renaissance has enabled it to reclaim this site, and will form part of what is hoped to be a broader reinvigoration for the street, which has suffered badly from the pandemic.
Streaming music may be dominant, but there is nothing quite like browsing through a record store.
