Richard Sharp’s loan scandal plagued the BBC, and it took his resignation for him to realise that
News stories about major scandals can bring down the people responsible for these major scandals, and it’s proved no exception for Richard Sharp. This week, he announced his intention to step down as the chairman of the BBC, as the report was set to be published into his £800,000 loan with the then-prime minister Boris Johnson — who actually appointed him to the top job. It found that he had breached the rules on public appointments by failing to declare interests on that loan.
A Sharp resignation (another words for ‘Sharp’s resignation’) came a few moments as he was set to find out whether his future with the BBC would be secured. Now, we all know it’s not the case. Public money used for private, and often corrupt, reasons have always been the case and we have been down this road for a couple of years now. And this story is proof that everything Johnson touches breaks, and everyone he hangs round with doesn’t survive politically.
Initial reporting by the Sunday Times into how Sharp helped out the Uxbridge MP brought his integrity and professionalism into question. And let me tell you why: because it’s basically showing yourself that you do have these things and in Sharp’s case, he barely has any if not none at all.
Sharp’s appointment to the BBC as its chairman was controversial, and it still is btw, because it made it harder for them to show how independent it is from the government at all. This scandal around his financial relationship, and loan, with Johnson plagued the corporation, as it fights to keep its name amidst accusations that it’s politically biased, whether it’s leaning to the right, to the left, and/or to the centre. Worth a reminder that Sharp himself donated £400,000 to the Tories prior to him taking up the position to chair the BBC.
Sharp — who said him resigning was to prevent “any more distractions” within the BBC — didn’t just give a loan worth thousands to Johnson. He in fact advised for him whilst he was the Mayor of London! Their friendship, now torn apart by this loan scandal that they created, was like a behind-closed-doors edition of the Thick of It. Even Armando Iannucci, the show’s maestro, wouldn’t wanna be making it right now tbh.
In March, Gary Lineker was suspended from Match of the Day over his criticism of the government’s illegal migration bill, saying the language around it was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”. He was quickly reinstated after a series of walkouts within BBC Sport. Ironically, Lineker had something to say about Sharp resigning, and it’s fair to say that he pulled no punches. Least.
Suella Braverman, the home secretary who was subject to Lineker’s criticism, said his comments were “unhelpful and offensive”, adding that her husband is Jewish. You know what’s actually “unhelpful and offensive”? The way you’re treating some of the most vulnerable in society right now? The way you said that a majority of British Pakistanis “make up grooming gangs”? (which is a complete and utter lie) Ain’t that “unhelpful and offensive” for you?
But back to Richard Sharp now, and why this whole loan scandal made headlines and surrounded the BBC when it comes to impartiality, integrity and independence (used three ‘I’s for this one lol). He was praised by his other good friend, director general Tim Davie. Who was of course a councillor for the Conservatives back in the 90s. I can hardly remember any scandals that Davie himself had been involved in, but this Sharp thing was a big thing for him to deal with, because it’s about the organisation that he directs — the BBC.
Did the Tories call for Sharp to resign, or did they call on prime minister Rishi Sunak to sack him? No, cos guess what? He funded them £400k! (as said before) If Labour was funded by Sharp, would they call on him to resign? Also no. They did so, not least cos he didn’t fund them, but because this is one of the prime examples of Labour showing that it didn’t have to suck up to Tory corruption (and Keir Starmer should continue knowing this if I’m gonna ever vote for them next year).
It’s not just Sharp gone, guess who else left? That’s right, our ol’ friend (not really) Dominic Raab! He resigned after the controversy into his treatment of civil servants, who he then called “activist” (that’s how you can be called for calling out shit), as the report loomed into whether he actually bullied and intimidated staff (spoiler: he did).
In a week where you can lose the job (like Tucker Carlson with Fox News), leave the job (like Richard Sharp with the BBC) or be suspended from the job (like Diane Abbott with Labour), it should be important — in a healthy democracy nonetheless — that you leave that job mainly because you are looking for a new one, or you’ve been in there for years, not because you’re involved in a major scandal. Whew!
