In light of a report that the former prime minister was instructed to stop seeking financial advice from Mr. Sharp, connections between Boris Johnson and BBC chairman Richard Sharp are again being questioned.
Johnson was instructed to stop seeking loan guidance - Richard Sharp
Weeks before Mr. Sharp was hired by the corporation, the Sunday Times reported on the leaked memo. Mr. Sharp introduced the head of the civil service to a friend who wanted to back Mr. Johnson's loan.
He insists his appointment was merit-based. However, following repeated allegations in the Sunday Times that Mr. Sharp assisted Mr. Johnson in obtaining a loan before landing a job, Mr. Sharp's appointment is being reviewed.
Mr. Sharp and Mr. Johnson have independently stated that neither man acted in a conflict of interest and that Mr. Sharp was not involved in setting up a loan for the then-prime minister.
Mr. Johnson's spokesman insisted to the BBC that he had never sought or gotten financial advice from Mr. Sharp in the wake of the Sunday Times' latest report.
According to the newly leaked memo, you must stop consulting Richard Sharp about your financial matters because he will soon be named the BBC chair. Mr. Sharp claimed last week that he had not offered the former prime minister any advice.
According to Mr. Sharp, his position has stayed the same. Harp claimed he had yet to offer the former prime minister any advice.
But both an internal panel and the public appointments commissioner will look into his appointment. Additionally, he has been asked to testify before the select committee of the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport so that MPs can question him.
Opposition parties have criticized the appointment of Mr. Sharp, whose responsibility it is to uphold the BBC's independence as chairman.
Mr. Sharp has previously admitted that he spoke with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the highest-ranking official, in late 2020 to discuss financial assistance offered for Mr. Johnson. His wealthy Canadian friend Sam Blyth, Mr. Johnson's distant cousin, made that offer.
Mr. Sharp, a government adviser at the time, has claimed that his involvement in the loan facility ended at this point and that he "simply connected people." The memo warning to Mr. Johnson, purportedly from Mr. Case, was sent on December 22, 2020, the Sunday Times reports.
This occurred about two weeks before Mr. Sharp's government announced his selection as the new BBC chairman. The following month, Mr. Johnson reportedly secured his £800,000 loan.
He allegedly heard that as long as Mr. Blyth, his guarantor, had no business or personal interests in the UK aside from his familial ties, he could obtain the loan without disclosing it.
However, the Sunday Times reported that Mr. Blyth was on a government list of suggested candidates for the British Council without senior officials in the public body being aware of his relationship with Mr. Johnson.
According to Mr. Blyth, his name was suggested by others, but he has yet to decide to apply formally. In the end, he chose not to pursue the position.
The British Council was considering hiring Sam Blyth. Still, Mr. Johnson's spokesperson told the BBC that neither he nor his staff knew this. After the initial inquiries about his appointment were made, Mr. Sharp emphasized that he had been "comfortable" with how the procedure was handled.
He stated that he had spoken with Mr. Case about avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring the procedure was followed "exactly by the book."
But he apologized and claimed that the argument had turned into a "distraction" in an email sent to BBC employees.
The BBC has not seen a copy of the leaked memo referenced by the Sunday Times, and a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office declined to comment on it.
