BBC Chairman Richard Sharp Resigns After Controversy Over Role in Boris Johnson Loan

The chairman of the BBC quit Friday after a report found he breached government rules governing public appointments.

The publicly funded national broadcaster has been under pressure after it was revealed that Sharp, a Conservative Party donor, helped arrange a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021, weeks before he was appointed to the BBC post on the government’s recommendation.

Sharp said he was quitting to “prioritize the interests of the BBC” after making an “inadvertent” breach of the rules.

A report on the incident by senior lawyer Adam Heppinstall is due to be published on Friday.