Appointment of BBC chairman done correctly - government
The government has insisted all the correct processes were followed in the appointment of the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, in early 2021.
Mr Sharp said he had "simply connected" people, while Mr Johnson's spokesman said the report was "rubbish" and insisted his financial arrangements "have been properly declared". "There was additional pre-appointment scrutiny by a House of Commons Select Committee which confirmed Mr Sharp's appointment. All the correct recruitment processes were followed."The Sunday Times story centres on events in late 2020, when Mr Johnson was reported to be in financial difficulty.
On Sunday afternoon a Cabinet Office spokesperson backed this up, saying: "Mr Sharp reminded the cabinet secretary about the BBC appointment process and asked for advice given his existing relationship with Boris Johnson. The government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister, on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.Mr Sharp is responsible for upholding and protecting the BBC's independence, and ensuring it fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain. Candidates for publicly-appointed roles such as the chairman job are required to declare any conflicts of interest.
She said that a "lack of transparency" may "give the impression that this was a quid pro quo arrangement, something which would undermine the integrity of the democratic process, and calls into question the process by which the chairman of the BBC was appointed".Mr Sharp declined to appear on BBC One's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday but told the programme "the claim that there was anything financial involved is not true".
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