BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigns after report finds he breached appointment rules
manchestereveningnews.co.ukRichard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman after a report found he breached the governance code for public appointments. He announced on Friday morning that he will stand down at the end of June after reading the findings of barrister Adam Heppinstall KC’s review into his appointment, which has just been published.
The report was ordered after it emerged he played a role in facilitating an £800,000 loan guarantee for then prime minister Boris Johnson before being recommended for the influential role overseeing the public broadcaster’s independence.
The report was ordered after it emerged he introduced his friend Sam Blyth, a cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to the Cabinet Office ahead of being recommended by the Government to the role. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community In his resignation statement, Mr Sharp 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. “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.
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