By Gavin Mackintosh-
Richard Sharp(pictured)has said that the BBC board will review any potential conflicts of interest he may have amid scrutiny over his links with Boris Johnson.
It follows claims that the BBC chairman was involved in securing a loan of up to £800,000 for the then-PM- allegations hew wholly denies.
The Sunday Times identified Mr Blyth as the source of a loan facility worth up to £800,000., but Mr. Sharp said Mr Blyth had offered to support the then-PM “having become aware of the financial pressures” on him.
The BBC said he introduced Mr Blyth to “the relevant official in government” because he [Mr Blyth] “wanted to check with me what the right way to go about this could be”
Mr Sharp has denied the allegations, insisting that he had not been involved in a loan, a guarantee or arrange any financing.
Mr Sharp confirmed that he introduced Sam Blyth , whom he described as an “old friend” and also happened to be a distant cousin of the then-PM, to Simon Case, the cabinet secretary.”.
Boris Johnson has described claims of any impropriety as “a load of complete nonsense”
The BBC did not respond to questions about whether it would give a time line for its internal review.
There is no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of the BBC chairman, but some of his critics believe something untoward may have taken place as a result of that introduction.
Mr. Sharp has committed himself having the findings of the review published “in the interest of transparency”.
In a statement, he called the row “a distraction for the organisation, which I regret”, adding that he had never hidden his longstanding relationship with the former PM.
According to The Sunday Times, Mr Sharp was involved in helping to arrange a guarantor on a loan of up to £800,000 for Mr Johnson in late 2020.
Mr Sharp – a former Goldman Sachs banker – was announced as the government’s choice for the new BBC chairman in January 2021.
The government’s choice is decided by the prime minister on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.
Mr Sharp told BBC staff in an email on Monday: “I believe firmly that I was appointed on merit, which the Cabinet Office have also confirmed”
Mr Sharp confirmed that he introduced Sam Blyth , who he described as an “old friend” and also happened to be a distant cousin of the then-PM, to Simon Case, the cabinet secretary.”.
Boris Johnson described claims of any impropriety as “a load of complete nonsense”.
He told Sky News on Monday: “Let me just tell you, Richard Sharp is a good and wise man but he knows absolutely nothing about my personal finances – I can tell you that for 100% ding dang sure.
“This is just another example of the BBC disappearing up its own fundament.”
The prime minister told reporters on Monday: “This appointment was obviously made by one of my predecessors before I became prime minister.
“The appointments process itself for appointing the BBC chairman is a rigorous process, it is independent, there are two stages to it, it is transparent and published online.
“Mr Sharp’s appointment went through that full process.”
The Labour party has written to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Daniel Greenberg, after a report in the Sunday Times that Tory donor Richard Sharp was involved in talks about financing Johnson when he found himself in financial difficulty in late 2020.
Sharp introduced multimillionaire Canadian businessman Sam Blyth to Boris Johnson, who had proposed to act as the then PM’s guarantor for a credit facility, to the cabinet secretary, according to the newspaper.