Richard Sharp: Boris Johnson was told to stop asking for loan advice

Links betwixt Boris Johnson and BBC president Richard Sharp are nether caller scrutiny, pursuing a study that the then-prime curate was told to halt asking Mr Sharp for fiscal "advice".

Mr Sharp's assignment is nether reappraisal pursuing successive reports successful the Sunday Times that helium helped Mr Johnson unafraid a indebtedness earlier getting his job.

The paper's latest communicative cites a leaked Cabinet Office memo from December 2020. Officials person declined to comment.

Both men contradict immoderate wrongdoing.

They person separately said that Mr Sharp was not progressive successful arranging a indebtedness for the then-prime minister, and accidental that neither antheral acted with immoderate struggle of interest.

In the aftermath of the Sunday Times's caller report, a spokesperson for Mr Johnson insisted to the BBC that helium had ne'er received oregon sought fiscal proposal from Mr Sharp.

Mr Sharp has resisted calls to basal down from his occupation - saying helium expects to beryllium exonerated, arsenic helium was appointed "on merit".

BBC News has been told Mr Sharp's presumption remained unchanged pursuing the latest Sunday Times reporting.

However, his assignment is to beryllium investigated by the nationalist appointments commissioner arsenic good arsenic an interior panel. He besides faces a grilling from MPs.

The Conservative authorities has besides faced attacks from absorption parties implicit the assignment of Mr Sharp, whose relation arsenic BBC president is to uphold the broadcaster's independence.

Mr Sharp has antecedently acknowledged that helium had contacted Cabinet Secretary Simon Case successful precocious 2020 - to sermon an connection of fiscal assistance for Mr Johnson.

That connection came from his affluent Canadian person Sam Blyth - besides a distant relative of Mr Johnson.

Mr Sharp - who worked arsenic a authorities advisor astatine the clip - has said helium "simply connected people", and that his engagement successful the indebtedness installation ended astatine this point.

The informing to Mr Johnson was sent connected 22 December 2020 - astir 2 weeks earlier his authorities unveiled Mr Sharp arsenic the caller BBC chairman, the Sunday Times wrote.

This leaked Cabinet Office memo was reportedly sent aft the 2 men asked for proposal connected Mr Johnson accepting an £800,000 indebtedness from Mr Blyth.

It reportedly came from Mr Case, a apical civilian servant, astir 2 weeks earlier Mr Sharp was announced successful his BBC relation connected 6 January 2021.

Mr Johnson is said to person secured his indebtedness the pursuing month.

The memo allegedly requested that Mr Johnson "no longer inquire [Mr Sharp's] proposal astir your idiosyncratic fiscal matters", making circumstantial notation to Mr Sharp's "imminent announcement" arsenic BBC chairman.

The then-prime curate was reportedly told helium could instrumentality retired the indebtedness - without declaring it - arsenic agelong arsenic his guarantor Mr Blyth had nary "business oregon idiosyncratic interests successful the UK" beyond his household ties.

But Mr Blyth was connected a authorities database of recommended candidates for the British Council, without elder figures successful the nationalist assemblage realising his narration to Mr Johnson, the Sunday Times reported.

Mr Blyth told the insubstantial that his sanction was suggested by others, that helium ne'er formally decided to apply, and that helium yet ruled himself retired of the running.

Mr Johnson's spokesperson told the BBC that helium and his squad had been unaware that Sam Blyth was being considered for a relation astatine the British Council.

After the archetypal questions were raised astir his appointment, Mr Sharp stressed that helium had been "comfortable" with the mode the process had been carried out.

He said his treatment with Mr Case had been astir avoiding conflicts of interest, and to guarantee the close process was followed "exactly by the book".

But, successful an email sent to BBC staff, helium apologised and said the enactment had go a "distraction".

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office declined to remark connected the leaked memo cited by the Sunday Times, of which the BBC has not seen a copy.