Richard Sharp news – live: Calls to examine Boris Johnson’s role in BBC appointment

Boris Johnson is facing calls to be examined after Richard Sharp resigned as chairman of the BBC on Friday.

Mr Sharp, a Tory donor, had helped arrange a meeting for Boris Johnson to meet with someone who could give him a personal loan.

He also told the prime minister in advance that he wanted the job – and the appointment panel was told he was the “only” candidate supported.

His old friend Sam Blyth, a businessman, went to Mr Sharp with an offer to help Mr Johnson as the then-prime minister struggled financially in 2020.

Mr Johnson should now be examined for his role, the former commissioner for public appointments has said.

Sir Peter Riddell, the commissioner when Mr Sharp took on the job, said the former prime minister's role “hasn't really been discussed enough” because it was outside the remit of Adam Heppinstall KC's inquiry.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: “He himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?”

Key Points

• Richard Sharp resigns after report found he broke rules

• Report found Sharp ‘failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest’

• Former BBC chair is ‘person of integrity’ BBC Board says in statement

• Report into Richard Sharp’s appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

• Questions to be asked of Boris Johnson’s role in saga

That's all folks

20:18 , William Mata

And with that round-up of today’s political stories, it is time to sign off.

Thank you for following today’s blog on an eventful Friday in Westminster.

Top stories from today

20:13 , William Mata

As we draw this live blog to a close, here are four stories to fill you in on the day’s events.

- Households should ‘accept’ being poorer, Bank of England’s top economist says: Huw Pill said workers asking for higher pay and shopkeepers putting up prices is ‘self-defeating’ as it fuels inflation

- Rishi Sunak to continue using English name for Brecon Beacons in snub to Welsh language: The park was rebranded with its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog, this month but not everyone appears keen on the switch

- Richard Sharp report: 6 things we learned from report into BBC chair: The report sheds light on how public appointments really work in the UK

- ‘I saved British lives during Covid, now you are leaving an NHS doctor to die’ says medic blocked from Sudan flight: ‘You will risk your life during Covid saving British lives...but when it comes to saving you, are told very bluntly, you are not English’

Tory MP who compared Covid vaccines to the Holocaust expelled by party

20:02 , William Mata

The Conservatives have expelled MP Andrew Bridgen from the party after he compared Covid-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.

He was already sitting as an independent MP after being stripped of the party whip but was dismissed from the party after an investigation found his comments breached lobbying rules.

Rishi Sunak denounced his comments as “completely unacceptable” after Mr Bridgen claimed the jabs were “causing serious harms” and said he had been told the vaccine programme was “the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust”.

Read Kate Devlin’s full story here.

UK to stop evacuation flights from Sudan on Saturday

19:30 , William Mata

The UK will end evacuation flights from an airfield in Sudan by 6pm on Saturday, the Government has announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said operations would cease following a “significant decline” in the number of British nationals seeking to flee the war-torn country.

Read Dominic McGrath’s story here.

Angela Rayner pleads for ‘soulmate’ to remain as MP after Labour deselection

19:00 , William Mata

Angela Rayner has pleaded for her “soulmate” Sam Tarry to remain a Labour MP after he was deselected by the party.

Mr Tarry was blocked from running in Ilford South in a ballot last October, as locals chose a council leader to fight the next election in the constituency.

He is a close political ally of Ms Rayner, who is deputy Labour leader, and the pair have been romantically linked since her separation from a union boss.

Gary Lineker wades into BBC chairman row: ‘Not now, not ever’

18:45 , William Mata

Gary Lineker has waded into the row over the appointment of BBC chair Richard Sharp just weeks after he was suspended by the broadcaster for speaking out against the government.

Read Thomas Kingsley’s full report here.

Timeline of events: How Richard Sharp came to resign

18:41 , William Mata

Here are some of the key events leading up to the publication of the report.

September 2020: Richard Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker advising the Government on the economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, is contacted by old friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Mr Blyth says he wants to help Mr Johnson with his financial difficulties.

October 2020: The recruitment process opens for the next chairman of the BBC.

November 2020: Mr Sharp submits his application for the BBC job. He has already discussed it with Mr Johnson. Mr Blyth gets back in touch with Mr Sharp, asking him to arrange a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, Whitehall's top civil servant.

December 4, 2020: Mr Sharp meets Mr Case to discuss Mr Blyth's request for a meeting and the offer of help for Mr Johnson. They agreed that Mr Sharp should have no further involvement in the matter.

January 6, 2021: Mr Sharp is named as the Government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairman role and he is confirmed on January 15.

...

January 21, 2023: The Sunday Times reports Mr Sharp's involvement in facilitating the loan guarantee.

January 23, 2023: Mr Sharp writes to BBC staff telling them he is "really sorry" the matter had become a distraction for the broadcaster and says the nominations committee of the BBC board will examine whether there have been any conflicts of interest since he started his role. Commissioner for Public Appointments William Shawcross said he would review the competition which led to Mr Sharp getting the BBC job. He subsequently recuses himself, because he has met Mr Sharp a number of times, with Adam Heppinstall KC appointed to lead the investigation.

February 7, 2023: Mr Sharp appears before the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee to defend his actions but a week later the committee publishes a report stating that Mr Sharp made "significant errors of judgment".

April 28, 2023: Mr Sharp resigns as chairman of the BBC after the investigation by barrister Adam Heppinstall KC is published.

Call for return of face masks as Covid variant spreads

18:14 , William Mata

Face masks should be worn again on public transport, experts have claimed, as the new Arcturus Covid variant continues to spread.

Five Brits have died from the Arcturus strain of Covid, according to the UK Health Security Agency, while 135 sequences have been detected in the UK so far, and there are believed to be around 104 cases as some people have been sequenced twice.

Read Martha McHardy’s full story here.

Rishi Sunak to continue using English name for Brecon Beacons in snub to Welsh language

18:07 , William Mata

Rishi Sunak has said he will continue using the name Brecon Beacons, despite the Welsh national park dropping its English name.

The park decided it would rebrand under its Welsh language name, Bannau Brycheiniog, earlier this month after management claimed the association with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing beacon was “not a good look”.

Read Emily Atkinson’s article here.

Ron DeSantis and Rishi Sunak will not meet in visit

17:58 , William Mata

Ron DeSantis will not meet with Rishi Sunak as the governor of Florida and White House hopeful continues his British tour.

It is understood to be against precedent and protocol for a governor and British prime minister to meet. But Mr DeSantis, who is the bookies’ third favourite to win next year’s US election, did meet with Tory front benchers James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch on Friday.

All the resignations under the Sunak government

17:45 , William Mata

Richard Sharp was not a politician but is still a major figure to have stepped down under the prime ministership of Rishi Sunak.

Three other big names have left the front benches of the Tory party since Mr Sunak took office in November.

- Gavin Williamson. The minister without portfolio, was sacked over bullying claims.

- Nadhim Zahawi. The Tory chairman became the second one to fall after an investigation into his tax affairs.

- Dominic Raab. Last week, the deputy prime minister stepped down, also due to bullying claims.

Video: Boris Johnson dodges question

17:29 , William Mata

Boris Johnson did not give a straight answer on the resignation of Richard Sharp when asked.

‘He had lost the dressing room’: Quotes of the day

17:19 , William Mata

"I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term" - Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chairman.

"He had lost the dressing room, he had lost the respect of senior figures in the broadcasting industry and besmirched the reputation of the BBC" - National Union of Journalists general secretary Michelle Stanistreet criticises Mr Sharp for not resigning earlier.

"He (Mr Johnson) himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?" - Sir Peter Riddell - the former commissioner for public appointments.

Who could replace Richard Sharp as BBC chairman?

17:12 , William Mata

Conversation has now moved onto who could succeed Richard Sharp as BBC chairman. Here are four names that have been attached to the role.

Murial Gray

The former broadcaster and television host is a non-executive director on the BBC board and represents Scotland at the corporation.

George Osborne

The former chancellor (pictured below) is chairman of the British Museum and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership but had been linked to the BBC role in 2021 when Mr Sharp took it.

Sir Nicholas Serota

Another BBC board member, Sir Nicholas is best known for being director of the Tate galleries for almost three decades.

Charles Moore

The former editor of the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator has been a member of the House of Lords since 2020.

Let all British residents join Sudan evacuation, Labour urges government

17:02 , William Mata

All British residents should qualify for evacuation from Sudan, Labour has said – amid concerns people could be left behind if the country again descends into fighting.

The government has rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family – and is facing both domestic and international criticism over its response.

Jon Stone has the full story here.

Richard Sharp report: 6 things we learned from report into BBC chair

16:40 , Thomas Kingsley

If you’re just tuning in, Richard Sharp has resigned after a report found he failed to disclose a conflict of interest in his appointment as BBC chair.

The report found that:

1) Sharp had two undisclosed conflicts of interests

The report found that Richard Sharp failed to disclose two potential conflicts of interest during the application process to be BBC chair.

One was that he was making introductions to help the prime minister with his "personal finances".

But the inquiry also found that Sharp had another conflict of interest - he had told the prime minister in advance that he wanted to be BBC chair.

2) Sharp accepts one of the conflicts of interest but not the other

The now former BBC chair "does not consider" that telling Boris Johnson he wanted to be BBC chair amounts to a conflict of interest.

But he does accept that he should have explained to the appointment panel that he was making an introduction to help Mr Johnson with his finances.

"He says that his failure to disclose was entirely inadvertent", the report says.

Read the full list below:

6 things we learned from the report into BBC chair Richard Sharp

Who is outgoing BBC chairman Richard Sharp and why did he resign?

16:07 , Thomas Kingsley

Mr Sharp – a major Tory Party donor who was on the board of conservative think tank the Centre for Policy Studies – described Mr Sunak to a friend as “the best young financial analyst he had seen”.

Before his stint at Goldman Sachs, which spanned from 1985 to 2007, he worked in both commercial and investment banking for JP Morgan.

Mr Sharp, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, is also a former chairman and an emeritus trustee of the Royal Academy.

He acted as an adviser to Mr Sunak during the pandemic, and played a key role in the creation of the Government’s £1.57 billion culture recovery fund.

He was also a member of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee from 2013 until 2019.

Watch again: BBC chair resigns over ‘Cash for Boris’ scandal

15:44 , Thomas Kingsley

How did Twitter react to the resignation?

15:21 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharp’s resignation has been dominating social media today. Here are some of the key reactions from Twitter today:

Watch: Richard Sharp report - The findings

15:05 , Thomas Kingsley

Voices | Richard Sharp’s real failing was keeping bad company (that means you, Boris)

14:46 , Thomas Kingsley

Say what you like about Richard Sharp, he is not a stupid man, Sean O’Grady writes. He knew when the game was up, and, unlike many others in a similar position, did not try to hang on and embarrass himself.

He is an intelligent man, and has been a perfectly competent chair of the BBC – a role to which he was appointed, as he always said, on “merit”.

It’s a traditionally political appointment, so his being a past Tory donor shouldn’t necessarily have ruled him out. No one minded when Chris Patten was chair, and he’d been chair of the Tory party. Labour sympathisers have been given the job too, and fallen out with a Labour government.

Read the full voices piece below:

Sharp’s real failing was keeping bad company (that means you, Boris) | Sean O’Grady

Boris Johnson should be investigated over role in Sharp appointment

14:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Boris Johnson's role in the appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC chairman should be examined, the former commissioner for public appointments has said.

Sir Peter Riddell, who was the commissioner when Mr Sharp took on the job, said the former prime minister's role “hasn't really been discussed enough” because it was outside the remit of Adam Heppinstall KC's inquiry.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: “He himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?

“Should someone in the Cabinet Office have told their colleagues in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about what was happening with the private finances?”

Sharp has caused 'undoubted damage' to trust in BBC - media committee chair

14:16 , Thomas Kingsley

The acting chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of MPs says Richard Sharp's failure to disclose two conflicts of interest when he interviewed for BBC chairman has caused "undoubted damage" to public trust in the BBC.

Conservative MP Damian Green says this “could all have been avoided had he chosen to be more open with the facts” when he first appeared before the committee more than two years ago.

Mr Green said: “Sharp's resignation shows that pre-appointment hearings should not be seen by candidates as a minor inconvenient hurdle to be brushed aside, but as an important part of a process to ensure the right person is appointed to the job.

“We hope that lessons have been learnt by all those involved so that future appointments are not clouded in the same way and people can have faith in those chosen for public positions.”

Leaks to press made appointments under Johnson’s government ‘almost irrelevant'

13:58 , Thomas Kingsley

Leaks to the press on preferred candidates for public appointments under Boris Johnson's government made the recruitment process “almost irrelevant”, former culture minister Lord Vaizey has said.

He agreed with Adam Heppinstall KC's recommendation that these “pre-briefings” should stop, with the barrister noting in his report that the Telegraph reported that Richard Sharp was tipped as a frontrunner as he was applying for the BBC chairmanship in 2020.

Lord Vaizey told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: “People who get involved in public appointments, who are interested in public appointments, read the newspapers.

“Certainly, under Boris Johnson, they were told by the newspapers pretty clearly who Boris Johnson wanted to be the chair of various different public bodies. I think that definitely had a material impact on people who might have been thinking about going for the chair of the BBC, who would have been very good appointments, and I think they were put off, so I think that does have to stop...

“The last government certainly gave the impression that these jobs would be given to favoured candidates and the process was almost irrelevant.”

Opinion | Rishi Sunak should have sacked Richard Sharp straight away

13:40 , Emily Atkinson

The moment Richard Sharp admitted that he had helped Boris Johnson with his personal finances, Rishi Sunak should have sacked him, writes our chief political commentator John Rentoul. There was no need to appoint a lawyer to conduct an inquiry, because Sharp, as he now accepts, had broken the rules.

Rishi Sunak should have sacked Richard Sharp straight away | John Rentoul

Media reacts to Richard Sharp resignation

13:20 , Thomas Kingsley

On Friday, Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said Mr Sharp had “lost the dressing room” at the BBC over the long-running probe into his breach of appointment rules.

She said: “Richard Sharp has shamefully clung to his position as chair for months whilst all around him could clearly see his time was up, so of course it is a relief and proper that he has now finally resigned.

“He had lost the dressing room, he had lost the respect of senior figures in the broadcasting industry and besmirched the reputation of the BBC.

“Now the BBC must move on with a new chair who can help steer the corporation through difficult times and champion public service broadcasting.”

The BBC's World Affairs editor John Simpson also tweeted: “Following Richard Sharp's resignation as BBC Chairman, it's likely there'll be more support for the proposal that the chairman should be nominated by an independent committee and not by the government.

“Polls always show that people want governments to keep their hands off the BBC.”

Damian Green, the acting chair of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said Mr Sharp's successor must have “the integrity and impartiality needed for this role”.

Mr Green added that “we hope that lessons have been learnt” so that future appointments are not “clouded in the same way” and so that “people can have faith in those chosen for public positions”.

13:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Rishi Sunak told journalists: “This is about doing things properly and professionally.

“When concerns are raised, it is right there is a proper process, an independent process that we don't prejudge, we allow it to carry on, establish the facts of what happened, reach a conclusion.

“That has happened, Richard Sharp has resigned. But it is right that we do these things properly and professionally, I think most people will think that is the right thing to do.”

Asked if Mr Sharp's replacement should be a non-political appointment, Mr Sunak said he was “focused on delivering for the British people”.

He said: “That is what is I am here talking about today in Scotland, how we can work constructively with the Scottish Government to deliver for the people of Scotland.”

Rishi Sunak has not spoken to Richard Sharp following his resignation

12:44 , Thomas Kingsley

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he has not spoken to former BBC chairman Richard Sharp following his resignation.

Asked if he had spoken to Mr Sharp, who quit his job after being found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose he played a role in getting Boris Johnson an £800,000 loan guarantee, Mr Sunak said: “No.”

The prime ninister was in Glasgow for the Scottish Conservative conference and said he had been “talking to our members” and “talking about what we are doing to deliver for the people of Scotland”.

Mr Sunak said: “I haven't seen the report but I understand he tendered his resignation to the Secretary of State and she has accepted it.”

12:28 , Thomas Kingsley

Gary Lineker has commented on the resignation of BBC chairman Richard Sharp.

The Match Of The Day host, 62, tweeted: “The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day.

“Not now, not ever.”

His comments come after he was taken off air by the broadcaster in March after posting a tweet which sparked an impartiality row prompting the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidance for freelancers.

He later returned to his Match Of The Day presenting role following a boycott by top on-air talent.

Rishi Sunak says he has not seen report into Richard Sharp

12:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he has not seen the report into Richard Sharp, but was unable to guarantee a non-political figure would replace him.

Speaking to media at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow, Mr Sunak said: “There's an appointments process that happens for those appointments. I'm not going to prejudge that.”

Richard Sharp was the only candidate supported by the government

11:50 , Thomas Kingsley

The appointment panel was told Mr Sharp was the only candidate supported by the government

The appointment panel had a shortlist of 23 applications, which was then cut down to eight people.

But the chair of the panel was told about No 10’s support for Richard Sharp and it was stated “that he was the only candidate identified to the Panel as having his candidacy supported by Ministers”.

In the end Mr Sharp was selected.

Read more from our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, on key points from the report into Richard Sharp’s rule breach:

6 things we learned from the report into BBC chair Richard Sharp

Labour say Richard Sharp should have been sacked ‘weeks ago’

11:40 , Thomas Kingsley

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Richard should have been sacked instead of resigning.

“This report, that I instigated, not the government, found that he failed to disclose this murky relationship that he had with the prime minister over the private loan that they received,” Ms Powell said.

“But he could have been sacked, he should have been sacked weeks ago.

“It was clear for everyone to see that he had failed to act appropriately in the process, and it has caused untold damage to the reputation and the independence of the BBC.

“They should’ve sacked him weeks ago.”

Timeline of key events leading to Richard Sharp’s resignation over ‘Cash for Boris’ row

11:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Where did the Richard Sharp story begin?

September 2020: Richard Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker advising the Government on the economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, is contacted by old friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Mr Blyth says he wants to help Mr Johnson with his financial difficulties.

October 2020: The recruitment process opens for the next chairman of the BBC.

November 2020: Mr Sharp submits his application for the BBC job. He has already discussed it with Mr Johnson.

Late November 2020: Mr Blyth gets back in touch with Mr Sharp, asking him to arrange a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, Whitehall’s top civil servant.

December 2020: Mr Sharp meets Mr Case to discuss Mr Blyth’s request for a meeting and the offer of help for Mr Johnson. They agreed that Mr Sharp should have no further involvement in the matter.

Read the full timeline below:

Timeline of events leading to Richard Sharp’s resignation over ‘Cash for Boris’ row

Sharp had two undisclosed conflicts of interests

11:15 , Thomas Kingsley

The report found that Richard Sharp failed to disclose two potential conflicts of interest during the application process to be BBC chair.

One was that he was making introductions to help the prime minister with his “personal finances”.

But the inquiry also found that Sharp had another conflict of interest - he had told the prime minister in advance that he wanted to be BBC chair.

Sharp accepts one of the conflicts of interest but not the other.

The now former BBC chair “does not consider” that telling Boris Johnson he wanted to be BBC chair amounts to a conflict of interest. But he does accept that he should have explained to the appointment panel that he was making an introduction to help Mr Johnson with his finances.

“He says that his failure to disclose was entirely inadvertent”, the report says.

Richard Sharp appointment shows ‘how far standards have fallen’ former business secretary says

10:55 , Thomas Kingsley

Former shadow business secretary Dame Angela Eagle told The Independent that Mr Sharp’s appointment shows “how far standards have fallen under successive Tory governments”.

She said: “It was clear that he should have resigned as soon as the report of his lack of disclosure about facilitating the £800,000 loan to Mr Johnson came out.

“That he could ever have believed that this was not an interest to be declared both during the public appointments procedure or when appearing in front of Parliament to confirm the appointment, beggars belief.

“That the then PM could appoint him in these circumstances and then both of them claim there was nothing untoward about it - is extraordinary and shows just how far standards of decency and probity have fallen under successive Tory governments.

“By hanging on he has dragged the BBC through the mud and the damage to trust will take a long time to repair”

‘Mad’ Richard Sharp was appointed in first place, report writer said

10:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Senior SNP MP John Nicolson - who sits on the culture committee which produced a damning report into Mr Sharp’s role in securing the loan for Mr Johnson - said the fact he had the job in the first place was “mad”.

Mr Nicolson said the next BBC chair must not be a Tory donor and called for an end to party political appointments to “plum public service positions”.

He told The Independent: “It is very important that the next chair of the BBC appointed by Downing Street should not be a Tory Party donor.”

And Mr Nicolson delivered an excoriating verdict on Mr Sharp’s tenure saying “he showed little interest in broadcasting through his career” and “was unable to do his job” when appointed.

He said: “Richard Sharp was absent during the Gary Lineker row, and it is absolutely right that he has gone. I am glad he resigned, I called for him to resign.”

“A more modest, self-effacing resignation statement, however, would have been welcomed,” he added.

Mr Nicolson also piled pressure on the Labour Party to pledge not to appoint donors to public service roles. He said: “Keir Starmer must also rule out appointing a Labour Party donor to this and any other public service role if he goes into Downing Street.

“Labour has refused to say that it will change this culture. Now is the time for Keir Starmer to say, ‘I will not give a public service appointment to anybody who has given Labour a large financial donation’.”

Richard Sharp explains why he did not disclose loan help to Boris Johnson

10:36 , Thomas Kingsley

In his statement, Mr Sharp sought to explain what happened when he secured a loan for Boris Johnson.

“When I sought, in December 2020, to introduce the cabinet secretary to Mr Blythe, I did so in good faith. I did so with the best intentions and I did so with the sole purpose of ensuring that all relevant rules were being followed,” he said.

“I'm pleased that Mr Heppinstall supports the fact that my involvement in these matters, as he states was accordingly, very limited.

“After extensive work, he states his words, that he's happy to record that he's seen no evidence, and nor could he say I played any part whatsoever in facilitation arrangement, or financing of a loan to the former prime minister. Now during my conversation with the Cabinet Secretary on December the fourth 2020 I reminded him of the fact that I was in the BBC appointment process.

“I believed as a result of that conversation, that I had been removed from any conflict or perception of conflict.

“I understood this recusal to be absolute. This was my error.

“In my subsequent interview with the appointments panel, I wish with the benefit of hindsight, this potential perceived conflict of interest, something you might consider to mention.

“I would like once again to apologise for that oversight, inadvertent though it was, and for the distraction these events have caused the BBC.”

Richard Sharp reports causes ‘untold damage’ to BBC’s reputation

10:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, said the report was clear that “Mr Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.”

She added that the findings have caused “untold damage” to the reputation of the BBC and “seriously undermines its independence.”

Ms Powell said: “This comes after 13 years of the Tories doing everything they can to defend themselves and their mates. From Owen Patterson to Dominic Raab, and now Richard Sharp, instead of doing what’s best for the country the Prime Minister was more interested in defending his old banking boss. The prime minister should have sacked him weeks ago. Instead it took this investigation, called by Labour, to make him resign.”

She called on Rishi Sunak to “urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much.”

Culture secretary weighs into Sharp resignation

10:19 , Thomas Kingsley

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, has weighed into the resignation fallout. In a letter to Richard Sharp she said: “I understand and respect your decision to stand down.”

She told the outgoing chairman: “I know that you are held in high regard by the BBC Board.

“You have clearly demonstrated your commitment to public service and I especially applaud the work you did during the pandemic. Your decision to step down in the wider interests of the corporation is further testament to that commitment.

“Certainty and stability for the corporation are clearly a shared priority. In this context, I have spoken to the board and they have proposed that you stay in place until the next board meeting on June 27 2023 whilst an acting chair is appointed in line with the Charter.

“I have accepted this and would like to thank you for your continued service to assist in ensuring an orderly and smooth transition takes place. We will also move to launch a process to identify and appoint a permanent new chair.

“Thank you, once again, for your service and I wish you well for the future. I am sure there will be further opportunities for you to make a significant contribution to public life.”

Richard Sharp ‘is a person of integrity,’ BBC Board says in statement

10:10 , Thomas Kingsley

The BBC Board issued a statement accepting Richard’s decision to stand down.

It reads: “The BBC Board believes that Richard Sharp is a person of integrity.

“Richard has been a real advocate for the BBC, its mission, and why the Corporation is a priceless asset for the country, at home and abroad. He has always had the impartiality of the BBC and a desire to see the organisation thrive at the forefront of his work as Chairman.

“We understand that the UK government is moving swiftly to begin the process of appointing a new Chairman of the BBC, in line with the terms of the BBC’s Charter.”Tim Davie, the Director-General of the BBC, added: “On behalf of the BBC Executive, I would like to thank Richard for his service to the BBC and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as Chairman. Working with him over the last two years has been rewarding and Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC.

Richard Sharp ‘failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest,’ report finds

10:07 , Thomas Kingsley

Adam Heppinstall KC's report into the appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC chair found he “failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest.”

Mr Sharp continued in his statement: “I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.

“I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board.”

BREAKING: Richard Sharp resigns

10:03 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharp said he was quitting as BBC chairman to "prioritise the interests" of the broadcaster after a report by Adam Heppinstall found he breached the governance code for public appointments.

In a statement, he said: "Mr Heppinstall's view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.

"Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.

"Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC.

Watch: BBC panel asked by chair Richard Sharp to review potential conflict of interest over Boris Johnson loan

10:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Who is under-pressure BBC chairman Richard Sharp?

09:46 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharp – a major Tory Party donor who was on the board of conservative think tank the Centre for Policy Studies – described Mr Sunak to a friend as “the best young financial analyst he had seen”.

Before his stint at Goldman Sachs, which spanned from 1985 to 2007, he worked in both commercial and investment banking for JP Morgan.

Mr Sharp, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, is also a former chairman and an emeritus trustee of the Royal Academy.

He acted as an adviser to Mr Sunak during the pandemic, and played a key role in the creation of the Government’s £1.57 billion culture recovery fund.

He was also a member of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee from 2013 until 2019.

Mr Sharp’s appointment as chairman of the BBC, during one of the most turbulent periods in its history in February 2021, was widely regarded as political.

Read the full story below:

Who is under-pressure BBC chairman Richard Sharp?

ICYMI: Boris Johnson stays at Caribbean villa owned by tycoon at heart of BBC chair row

09:22 , Thomas Kingsley

Boris Johnson is believed to have stayed at the luxury Caribbean home of his distant cousin at the heart of the row over the appointment of BBC chair Richard Sharp.

The former Tory PM and his wife Carrie spent Easter holidaying in the Dominican Republic in a villa thought to be owned by his Canadian relative Sam Blyth.

It comes as a new book found that Mr Johnson told Downing Street staff that “I am the fuhrer” and “I’m the king” amid tensions with his then-top adviser Dominic Cummings.

The ex-Tory PM stayed at a £4,100-a-night villa owned by his distant cousin, the Mirror reported after he was pictured there with his family by El Nuevo Diario.

Mr Johnson declared the use of Gatwick Airport’s luxury suite at the value £1,584 as he flew out to the Caribbean, the latest register of MPs’ interests shows.

But he has not declared any hospitality provided by Mr Blyth, and did not do so after a previous stay as a guest of his cousin. It is understood he does not believe it is necessary because he is staying with family.

Read the full story below:

Boris Johnson stays at villa owned by tycoon at heart of BBC chair row

Richard Sharp ‘will have to go’ if found to have broken rules, Labour MP says

08:58 , Thomas Kingsley

A Labour MP has said BBC chairman Richard Sharp “will have to go” if he is found to have broken the code for public appointments by facilitating a loan for Boris Johnson.

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told Sky News: “If it is revealed that he has failed to declare the details of this loan arrangement properly or failed to be forthcoming in the process, then of course he will have to go.”

A report investigating the matter is expected to be released on Friday morning, and Ms Haigh said an independent panel to look into the issue of public appointments has been established in the opposition.

She added: “It's been really concerning to see how the Government has sat back and done very little about the potential breaches in the process, and did nothing to help restore trust and faith in the impartiality of the BBC.

“I think his whole saga raises wider issues around the way that the Government has approached the BBC and the particular links of the Tory party with the BBC.”

What could happen to Richard Sharp

08:37 , Thomas Kingsley

BBC chair Richard Sharp should consider stepping down after jeopardising public trust in the corporation over the “cash for Boris” row, its former head of television news has said.

Writing for The Independent, Roger Mosey said Mr Sharp’s position appeared to be untenable – warning that there was an “ever-stronger sense that the end credits are about to roll” on his tenure.

Mr Sharp has been under growing pressure since a cross-party group of MPs found that he had made “significant errors of judgement” by acting as a go-between for an £800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson.

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‘Damning’ report exposes how ‘extraordinary’ incident is

08:15 , Thomas Kingsley

According to The Times the investigation by Adam Heppinstall KC into whether Mr Sharp should have disclosed the talks is “lengthy.”

Mr Heppinstall's findings were said to be “damning”. One source said: “When it's all laid out clearly, it exposes just how extraordinary the whole episode is.”

Mr Sharp's lawyers are understood to have disputed criticisms made by Heppinstall after receiving a letter summarising his findings this month. This means that some aspects of the report may since have been toned down.

Report into Richard Sharp’s appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

08:04 , Thomas Kingsley

BBC chairman Richard Sharp is braced for a report into his appointment to the role after he helped facilitate an £800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson.

MPs have already criticised Mr Sharp’s “significant errors of judgment”.

He has admitted introducing his friend Sam Blyth, a cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to the Cabinet Office in 2020.

In January the following year he was named as the government’s preferred candidate to be BBC chairman.

The Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee confirmed his appointment but was not aware of his role in helping to facilitate the loan.

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Report into Richard Sharp’s appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

Good morning

08:01 , Thomas Kingsley

Good morning and welcome to our live blog covering the publication of a report into whether BBC chair Richard Sharp breached rules by securing a loan for former prime minister Boris Johnson before he was appointed to his role.