BBC Publishes Richard Sharp Probe Findings

deadline.com:

The BBC has cleared the resigning Richard Sharp of any potential conflict of interest issues arising during his time as Chairman.

The BBC’s Nominations Committee has been probing Sharp’s two-year tenure since the Boris Johnson loan scandal broke, a scandal that is seeing Sharp resign from his post due to a separate damning report from the UK’s Public Appointments Committee, which found he breached appointment rules.

Today’s BBC report didn’t examine Sharp’s controversial hire but only potential conflict of interest issues arising since he started in early 2021. “Based on the evidence they had reviewed, the Committee were content to confirm thatthey had no concerns in respect of the Chairman’s integrity,” said the report. “The Committee were also content, based on the evidence, that all other aspects of the Code had beenfollowed satisfactorily by the Chairman during his time in the role.” The review noted that Sharp should have made “relevant declarations at the outset of his tenure” regarding his role in the facilitation of an £800,000 loan guarantee for former Prime Minister Johnson via an associate, Sam Blyth.

This failure to disclose has been the ultimate cause of Sharp’s resignation, and he will step down next month. The BBC today recommended that “greater attention be paid to the disclosure of relevant personal andprofessional interests at the start of [board] meetings” and the BBC Board’s Code of Practice be assessed to “make sure they were clear enough that personal and political as well as professional or pecuniary relationships should be considered for disclosure.” By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.