BBC chairman Richard Sharp defended himself against accusations of a conflict of interest during a U.K. parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday.
He appeared in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons after recent news reports that he had helped to arrange a loan guarantee for Boris Johnson just weeks before the then-u.K. prime minister recommended Sharp for his current role at the British public broadcaster. With Sharp under fire, the BBC board then unveiled that it would investigate the issue.
“I have never given financial advice to the former prime minister,” Sharp said on Tuesday, reiterating a previous statement on the issue. “I know nothing about his personal financial affairs,” he later added. “I didn’t facilitate a loan,” he also said in answering a question.
“I believe I was appointed on merit,” Sharp also said at one point during Tuesday’s committee grilling.
He appeared in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons after recent news reports that he had helped to arrange a loan guarantee for Boris Johnson just weeks before the then-u.K. prime minister recommended Sharp for his current role at the British public broadcaster. With Sharp under fire, the BBC board then unveiled that it would investigate the issue.
“I have never given financial advice to the former prime minister,” Sharp said on Tuesday, reiterating a previous statement on the issue. “I know nothing about his personal financial affairs,” he later added. “I didn’t facilitate a loan,” he also said in answering a question.
“I believe I was appointed on merit,” Sharp also said at one point during Tuesday’s committee grilling.
- 2/7/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped to arrange a loan guarantee for Boris Johnson just weeks before the then-U.K. prime minister recommended Sharp for his current role at the British public broadcaster, The Sunday Times reported.
It said that the former Goldman Sachs banker Sharp, 66, who has also been a donor to Johnson’s Conservative Party, was involved in arranging a guarantor for a loan of up to £800,000 (990,000) for now ex-prime minister Johnson after he had reached the final stages of the BBC chair recruitment process.
Sharp said he “simply connected” people, so there was no conflict of interest. A Johnson representative, cited by the BBC, said that he did not receive financial advice from Sharp. A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC plays no role in the recruitment of the chair, and any questions are a matter for the government.”
The U.K. opposition is calling for a probe. Labour Party...
It said that the former Goldman Sachs banker Sharp, 66, who has also been a donor to Johnson’s Conservative Party, was involved in arranging a guarantor for a loan of up to £800,000 (990,000) for now ex-prime minister Johnson after he had reached the final stages of the BBC chair recruitment process.
Sharp said he “simply connected” people, so there was no conflict of interest. A Johnson representative, cited by the BBC, said that he did not receive financial advice from Sharp. A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC plays no role in the recruitment of the chair, and any questions are a matter for the government.”
The U.K. opposition is calling for a probe. Labour Party...
- 1/22/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BBC Chairman Richard Sharp helped to arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 for Boris Johnson weeks before the then-prime minister recommended him for the role at the broadcaster, according to a new report.
Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, was involved in talks about how to help fund the former Prime Minister’s lifestyle in late 2020. At the time, Johnson was facing financial trouble due to a divorce, childcare costs, and bills for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, The Sunday Times Reported.
The newspaper continued to report that in 2020 Sharp met Sam Blyth, a Canadian businessman and distant cousin of the former prime minister, who is said to have raised the idea of acting as a guarantor on a credit facility for Johnson and asked Sharp for advice on the best way forward. The now BBC chairman agreed to help Blyth and introduced him to Simon Case,...
Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, was involved in talks about how to help fund the former Prime Minister’s lifestyle in late 2020. At the time, Johnson was facing financial trouble due to a divorce, childcare costs, and bills for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, The Sunday Times Reported.
The newspaper continued to report that in 2020 Sharp met Sam Blyth, a Canadian businessman and distant cousin of the former prime minister, who is said to have raised the idea of acting as a guarantor on a credit facility for Johnson and asked Sharp for advice on the best way forward. The now BBC chairman agreed to help Blyth and introduced him to Simon Case,...
- 1/22/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has doubled (tripled? quadrupled?) down on her transphobic comments, this time in regards to the proposed amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in Scotland, which made headlines days before International Women’s Day on March 8.
The Scottish legislation, under First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, is a planned reform of gender laws that will make it easier for people to legally change gender, including obtaining a gender recognition certification, removing the requirement of a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and allowing trans people to self-identify on legal documents. Under the new rules, to obtain such a certification, people need to live in their acquired gender for at least three months, followed by a further three-month reflection period, before the certificate is to be granted. The age limit for gender recognition will also be reduced to 16 from the current 18.
Rowling tweeted on March 5, “Multiple women...
The Scottish legislation, under First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, is a planned reform of gender laws that will make it easier for people to legally change gender, including obtaining a gender recognition certification, removing the requirement of a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and allowing trans people to self-identify on legal documents. Under the new rules, to obtain such a certification, people need to live in their acquired gender for at least three months, followed by a further three-month reflection period, before the certificate is to be granted. The age limit for gender recognition will also be reduced to 16 from the current 18.
Rowling tweeted on March 5, “Multiple women...
- 3/8/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
A British politician has claimed that casting women in film and TV roles that have traditionally been occupied by men is leaving boys with criminals for role models.
Speaking during a Westminster debate marking International Men’s Day, Conservative Party MP Nick Fletcher linked “female replacements” for roles such as Doctor Who, or the rumoured James Bond casting post-Daniel Craig, has left young men looking up to characters such as Peaky Blinders protagonist Tommy Shelby.
“Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?”, he said in comments that appeared to baffle others involved in the debate.
“There seems to be a call from a tiny, but very vocal, minority that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement,” Fletcher continued. “In recent years we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, The Equaliser, all replaced by women.”
Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds,...
Speaking during a Westminster debate marking International Men’s Day, Conservative Party MP Nick Fletcher linked “female replacements” for roles such as Doctor Who, or the rumoured James Bond casting post-Daniel Craig, has left young men looking up to characters such as Peaky Blinders protagonist Tommy Shelby.
“Is there any wonder we are seeing so many young men committing crime?”, he said in comments that appeared to baffle others involved in the debate.
“There seems to be a call from a tiny, but very vocal, minority that every male character or good role model must have a female replacement,” Fletcher continued. “In recent years we have seen Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Luke Skywalker, The Equaliser, all replaced by women.”
Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Three million ‘forgotten freelancers’ have fallen between the cracks of the government support scheme.
A multi-billion pound ‘kickstarter’ for young people, more cash for apprenticeships and a £1,000 pay-out per person to replace the furlough scheme comprise Rishi Sunak’s multi-pronged approach to re-launching the UK economy.
Sunak’s summer ‘mini budget’ was led by a Job Retention Bonus plan, which will complement the winding down of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Jrs). To that end, companies will be paid £1,000-per-person for each returned from furlough.
Anyone who returns to work between November and January – the three months after the Jrs...
A multi-billion pound ‘kickstarter’ for young people, more cash for apprenticeships and a £1,000 pay-out per person to replace the furlough scheme comprise Rishi Sunak’s multi-pronged approach to re-launching the UK economy.
Sunak’s summer ‘mini budget’ was led by a Job Retention Bonus plan, which will complement the winding down of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Jrs). To that end, companies will be paid £1,000-per-person for each returned from furlough.
Anyone who returns to work between November and January – the three months after the Jrs...
- 7/8/2020
- by 1101315¦Max Goldbart Broadcast¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
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