Richard Sharp’s resignation has divided the BBC as attention turns to his successor

Richard Sharp’s resignation as chairman of the BBC following a Boris Johnson loan scandal has divided the British broadcaster as it ponders finding his successor.

The former Goldman Sachs banker will resign at the end of June after failing to properly explain his role in facilitating Johnson’s £800,000 ($1 million) loan guarantee when ministers installed him on the BBC’s board.

Lawyer Adam Heppinstall concluded that Sharp’s actions gave rise to an “alleged conflict of interest”, although he did not conclude that the BBC leader was trying to curry favor by going into the Prime Minister’s private not to interfere in financial matters.

Sharp has been investigating for months since the story was first reported The Sunday Times and claimed today that its failure to be fully transparent about Johnson’s loan was “inadvertent and not material”.

BBC staff were upset by this The Sunday Times story when it came out in January, arguing that the company faced accusations that it was too cozy with the government and therefore not sufficiently impartial.

That view still persists within the BBC, particularly in the station’s newsroom, where Sharp has “lost the workshop”, according to an insider.

Journalists accused him of damaging the BBC by holding on to his job for four months and making headlines that reflected badly on the channel, even though he was not to blame for his appointment. When Sharp was criticized by lawmakers earlier this year, he even criticized BBC journalists for repeating the “significant inaccuracies” published by other newspapers about the debacle.

Sources added that Sharp launched a separate impartiality crisis over Gary Lineker match of the day Moderator who was suspended and then quickly reinstated for criticizing the government’s asylum policy. The BBC has fined a presenter for speaking out against the government while also having a leader who donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party.

Lineker did join the debate on Friday. “The BBC chairman should not be elected by the government of the day. Not now, not always’ he tweeted to his 9 million followers.

However, Sharp has turned the tide in other parts of the BBC and some are sad that he is stepping down. This group of employees claims to have welcomed change at the BBC and become an important advocate for the company in influential circles. “He’s really become quite a champion and quite an innovator, so a lot of us will be sad to see him go,” said a senior insider.

Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, gave a glimpse of that support last week when she said Sharp had “done a very good job”. Moore chooses her words carefully on public platforms, so it was telling that she chose not to use more neutral language while the Sharp investigation continues.

Support for Sharp was also shown in heated statements about his resignation from the BBC board and Tim Davie, the director-general. The board said he was a “highly effective” chairman and an “integrated person”, while Davie praised his “significant contribution to the BBC’s transformation and success”.

Insiders are now speculating about Sharp’s successor, with the government once again overseeing the recruitment process, albeit led by Rishi Sunak rather than Johnson.

Early runners and riders

Inside the BBC, the view is that ministers should avoid appointing a candidate with clear Conservative Party links, although there is no indication that the government will heed that advice.

A senior Conservative source said: “It is perfectly reasonable for the Government to take the view that they want someone else to be the BBC chairman.”

Early names associated with this role include Baroness Stowell of Beeston, chair of the influential House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee. Stowell has government links but has also worked at the BBC, including as head of corporate affairs. She is an advocate for the creative industries and recently helped push Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to overturn the lucrative tax cut threshold for high-end TV.

Sir Damon Buffini, a private equity manager, made an impression during his tenure on the BBC board and was appointed deputy chairman last December. Like Sharp, he is commercially oriented and considered an innovator. Sir Nicholas Serota, the BBC’s Senior Independent Director, is also considered a suitable candidate, although there are doubts whether he will take the role.

Sir Robbie Gibb, a member of the BBC board and former communications director to former prime minister Theresa May, has reportedly ruled himself out of the race to succeed Sharp.

Damian Green, acting chairman of Parliament’s culture, media and sport committee, said there was a need to learn from the Sharp saga and properly report potential conflicts of interest. “The Government must now ensure that it recruits a new chairman for the BBC who can demonstrate the integrity and impartiality required for the role,” he said.