Richard Sharp: BBC chairman denies facilitating loan for Boris Johnson

BBC president Richard Sharp has denied that helium facilitated a indebtedness for Boris Johnson erstwhile helium was premier minister.

There has been contention implicit Mr Sharp's relation in indebtedness talks involving Mr Johnson, which came earlier the then-PM nominated him to seat the BBC board.

The authorities has antecedently said Mr Sharp was appointed connected merit.

Mr Sharp told the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee connected Tuesday helium had not fixed Mr Johnson fiscal advice.

The MPs robustly questioned Mr Sharp, with 1 telling him she could not recognize wherefore helium had not been "open and transparent" astir his engagement successful the indebtedness discussions during his assignment process.

Mr Sharp confirmed helium had introduced his person Sam Blyth to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case successful precocious 2020, which was soon earlier his assignment astatine the BBC.

Mr Sharp has antecedently said Mr Blyth had offered to enactment arsenic guarantor connected a indebtedness - reportedly worthy up to £800,000 - aft speechmaking astir Mr Johnson's wealth troubles successful the media.

On Tuesday, Mr Sharp agreed with acting committee president Damian Green that helium had "acted arsenic a benignant of instauration agency" betwixt Mr Blyth and Mr Case.

He said helium past "raised with Mr Blyth the information that I'd submitted my exertion to beryllium the seat of the BBC and that therefore, to debar a conflict, oregon cognition of conflict, I could person - and we agreed - nary further information successful immoderate transpired whatsoever. And I didn't."

Although helium accepted helium was "a go-between" for Mr Blyth and the Cabinet Office, helium added: "I did not supply and person not provided the erstwhile premier curate idiosyncratic fiscal advice. I cognize thing astir his [financial] affairs, I ne'er person done. I didn't facilitate a loan.

"I've thing to bash with it whatsoever. I'm not enactment to thing that past happened oregon didn't happen. I've nary cognition of a bank. I've nary cognition of the existent loan."

Mr Sharp, a erstwhile concern banker and Conservative donor, described his narration with Mr Johnson arsenic "broadly professional", and that helium lone knew of the premier minister's fiscal issues from property reports.

It had not crossed his caput to notation the indebtedness treatment erstwhile helium appeared successful beforehand of the committee during his assignment process, helium said.

Asked whether helium regretted not doing so, Mr Sharp replied: "Obviously I regret this situation."

But Labour MP Kevin Brennan accused the BBC president of a "monumental nonaccomplishment of judgment" successful not disclosing it.

Another Labour MP, Julie Elliott, told Mr Sharp that "it sounds, sitting here, that you were hiding it, that's however it comes across", which helium said was not the case.

She asked if helium could spot that his engagement could beryllium perceived arsenic a struggle of interest.

He replied: "I tin spot with the payment of hindsight, peculiarly with immoderate of the assertions that person been made, that that is simply a perfectly morganatic contented for you to raise."

At the time, Mr Sharp did archer the furniture caput astir his speech with Mr Blyth. The Sunday Times reported connected his engagement successful the indebtedness discussions past month.

Mr Sharp said: "It's manifest that this has origin embarrassment for the BBC and I regret that."

He added: "I acted successful bully religion to guarantee that the rules were followed and successful that consciousness I person nary regret for that."

Mr Blyth's 2nd relative is Stanley Johnson, the erstwhile premier minister's father.

William Shawcross, the commissioner for nationalist appointments, was acceptable to analyse however Mr Sharp got the BBC job, but stood speech due to the fact that of past interaction betwixt the pair.

Adam Heppinstall KC has since been appointed successful Mr Shawcross's spot to look into the appointment.