Probe urged over claims BBC chair helped Johnson secure loan

Labour is calling for an urgent probe aft claims the president of the BBC helped Boris Johnson unafraid a indebtedness - conscionable weeks earlier the past PM recommended him for the job.

According to the Sunday Times, BBC president Richard Sharp helped put a warrant connected a indebtedness of up to £800,000 for Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson called the communicative "rubbish".

And Mr Sharp said determination was a not a struggle arsenic helium "simply connected" the radical progressive successful the loan.

The Sunday Times' communicative claims Mr Sharp - a Conservative Party donor - was progressive successful talks astir helping Mr Johnson erstwhile helium was successful fiscal trouble successful precocious 2020.

Mr Sharp was announced arsenic the government's prime for the caller BBC president successful January 2021. The BBC president is simply a relation appointed connected the proposal of ministers.

The Sunday Times reports Mr Sharp introduced multimillionaire Canadian businessman Sam Blyth - who had projected to enactment arsenic the then-PM's guarantor for the indebtedness - to Simon Case, the then-cabinet caput who was caput of the civilian service.

Mr Sharp, Mr Blyth and Mr Johnson past each had meal unneurotic astatine Chequers earlier the indebtedness was finalised, though they denied the PM's finances were discussed.

Labour said it had written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, raising concerns that immoderate statement was not decently declared.

In her letter, Labour Party seat Anneliese Dodds said she was acrophobic that Mr Johnson whitethorn person breached rules "by asking for an idiosyncratic to facilitate a warrant connected a indebtedness whom helium would aboriginal name to a elder nationalist role".

Ms Dodds said: "Serious questions request to beryllium asked of Johnson: wherefore has this wealth ne'er been declared, and what precisely did helium committedness these precise generous friends successful instrumentality for specified lavish loans?"

In a statement, Mr Sharp said: "There is not a struggle erstwhile I simply connected, astatine his request, Mr Blyth with the furniture caput and had nary further engagement whatsoever."

A spokesperson for Mr Johnson denied the newspaper's claims, saying: "This is rubbish. Richard Sharp has ne'er fixed immoderate fiscal proposal to Boris Johnson, nor has Mr Johnson sought immoderate fiscal proposal from him. There has ne'er been immoderate remuneration oregon compensation to Mr Sharp from Boris Johnson for this oregon immoderate different service.

"Mr Johnson did so person meal with Mr Sharp, whom helium has known for astir 20 years, and with his cousin. So what? Big deal.

"All Mr Johnson's fiscal arrangements person been decently declared and registered connected the proposal of officials."

A BBC spokesperson said: "The BBC plays nary relation successful the recruitment of the seat and immoderate questions are a substance for the government."