Probe urged over claims BBC chair helped Johnson secure loan

Labour is calling for an urgent investigation after claims the chairman of the BBC helped Boris Johnson secure a loan - just weeks before the then PM recommended him for the job.

According to the Sunday Times, BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 for Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson called the story "rubbish".

And Mr Sharp said there was a not a conflict as he "simply connected" the people involved in the loan.

The Sunday Times' story claims Mr Sharp - a Conservative Party donor - was involved in talks about helping Mr Johnson when he was in financial difficulty in late 2020.

Mr Sharp was announced as the government's choice for the new BBC chairman in January 2021. The BBC chairman is a role appointed on the recommendation of ministers.

The Sunday Times reports Mr Sharp introduced multimillionaire Canadian businessman Sam Blyth - who had proposed to act as the then-PM's guarantor for the loan - to Simon Case, the then-cabinet secretary who was head of the civil service.

Mr Sharp, Mr Blyth and Mr Johnson then all had dinner together at Chequers before the loan was finalised, although they denied the PM's finances were discussed.

Labour said it had written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, raising concerns that any arrangement was not properly declared.

In her letter, Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds said she was concerned that Mr Johnson may have breached rules "by asking for an individual to facilitate a guarantee on a loan whom he would later appoint to a senior public role".

Ms Dodds said: "Serious questions need to be asked of Johnson: why has this money never been declared, and what exactly did he promise these very generous friends in return for such lavish loans?"

In a statement, Mr Sharp said: "There is not a conflict when I simply connected, at his request, Mr Blyth with the cabinet secretary and had no further involvement whatsoever."

A spokesman for Mr Johnson denied the newspaper's claims, saying: "This is rubbish. Richard Sharp has never given any financial advice to Boris Johnson, nor has Mr Johnson sought any financial advice from him. There has never been any remuneration or compensation to Mr Sharp from Boris Johnson for this or any other service.

"Mr Johnson did indeed have dinner with Mr Sharp, whom he has known for almost 20 years, and with his cousin. So what? Big deal.

"All Mr Johnson's financial arrangements have been properly declared and registered on the advice of officials."

A BBC spokesman said: "The BBC plays no role in the recruitment of the chair and any questions are a matter for the government."