Pressure mounting on BBC chairman as prominent figures call on him to resign

‘The BBC needs its credibility restoring and that starts at the top ... [Sharp] must now go’

RICHARD SHARP’S position as BBC chairman is under increasing scrutiny after a string of former broadcast executives and prominent politicians called on him to resign.

Mr Sharp is resisting the pressure to step down and is instead expected to wait until the outcome of inquiries into whether he helped Boris Johnson get a loan before any decision on his future.

The spotlight has fallen on Mr Sharp in recent days amid a heated public debate about BBC impartiality and how the rules are applied after football presenter Gary Lineker’s suspension.

Mr Sharp, a Tory donor, became the BBC chairman in February 2021. His role in how Mr Johnson reportedly secured an £800,000 loan guarantee is being looked into in a Bbc-commissioned inquiry.

Rachel Reeves, the Labour shadow chancellor, said about Mr Sharp on the BBC’S Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “He is still in his job. Gary Lineker isn’t able to present the football commentary?”

She added: “The Tories obviously put a huge amount of pressure on the Government to get rid of Gary Lineker; I don’t remember those same Tory MPS crying about impartiality when those revelations about Richard Sharp came out.”

Another Labour front-bencher, the party’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell, also questioned Mr Sharp’s position, saying he was “totally unable” to handle the saga.

Ms Powell told Times Radio: “His position is now increasingly untenable. I think he, at this stage, should be reflecting on whether he’s able to do that very important job.”

It was not just Labour politicians making the argument, with former broadcasting executives voicing similar points on programmes aired over the weekend.

Roger Bolton, a former senior executive at the BBC, told GB News: “The BBC chairman now needs to resign. The very fact that he can’t speak out on the subject and defend the BBC and define impartiality, as the chairman of the BBC, means he can’t do his job.”

Roger Mosey, the former head of BBC TV News, tweeted on Saturday: “Richard Sharp should go. He damages the BBC’S credibility.” Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: “The BBC needs its credibility restoring and that starts at the top. The chairman of the BBC is supposed to protect its independence. I don’t believe Richard Sharp has done or can do. He must now go.”

Asked whether Mr Sharp should stay, Rishi Sunak said: “Richard Sharp went through an independent appointments process at the time that I had nothing to do with – he was appointed before I was Prime Minister, but also the chair of public appointments has asked a leading KC to review – to re-review – that appointments process so there is not much I can say more. That’s ongoing, but it’s right in that process concludes. It gives people the confidence that they need.”