Boris denies BBC chairman helped arrange £800,000 loan for hard-up PM

Boris Johnson says Richard Sharp controversy is ‘nonsense’

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Mr Johnson insisted Mr Sharp “knows absolutely nothing about my personal finances – let me tell you that for 100 per cent ding dang sure”.

It has been claimed Mr Sharp was in talks about how to arrange a loan guarantee for Mr Johnson in November and December 2020.

The discussions are said to have taken place just weeks before the then-PM recommended Mr Sharp for the role as BBC head.

William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, is to review the process used to appoint Mr Sharp. Meanwhile Mr Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker and an ex-adviser to Rishi Sunak when he was Chancellor, has ordered an internal BBC review into any possible “conflicts of interest”.

He said the row had become a “distraction” for the broadcaster but insisted he had been given the post on merit. Mr Johnson is reported to have secured a loan of up to £800,000 in late 2020 when he faced financial troubles over divorce payments, childcare costs and bills for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat.

A Sunday newspaper said Sam Blyth, a multimillionaire Canadian businessman and distant cousin of Mr Johnson, raised the idea of acting as guarantor and asked Mr Sharp, a friend, for advice.

The newspaper claimed Mr Sharp later discussed it with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, while Mr Johnson, Mr Sharp and Mr Blyth are said to have had a private dinner at Chequers before the loan was finalised.

Asked about the reports of Mr Sharp’s role, Mr Johnson told Sky News: “This is a load of complete nonsense, absolute nonsense. This is just another example of the BBC disappearing up its own fundament.”

Mr Sharp said he and Mr Case “both agreed that to avoid any conflict I should have nothing further to do with the matter”.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport permanent secretary Sarah Healey, who chaired the panel that interviewed Mr Sharp, told MPs on the Public Accounts Committee candidates were asked questions about conflicts of interest and apart from Mr Sharp’s political donations “no other declarations of conflicts were made”.

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