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Calls for an investigation into the ` boss’s involvement in an £800,000 loan from Boris Johnson

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By Sydney Barrett
Calls for an investigation into the BBC boss's involvement in an £800,000 loan from Boris Johnson

Calls for probe into ` chief's involvement in £800,000 Boris Johnson loan <i>(Image: PA)</i>” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R0Dpt.MJfQAXP0cIJ1wvJA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/herald_scotland_359/65f146330feb173b856bas data”32rcae” =”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R0Dpt.MJfQAXP0cIJ1wvJA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/herald_scotland_359/65f146330feb173b839b839>eab15eab>eab16eab>e</p> <p>Calls for an investigation into the ` boss’s involvement in an £800,000 loan from Boris Johnson (Image: PA)</p> <p>There are calls for an independent inquiry into damage banker Richard Sharp, who helped Boris Johnson arrange a guarantee for a loan of up to £800,000 just weeks before the then Prime Minister proposed him to become ` chairman.</p> <p>According to the Sunday Times, the ousted Tory leader struggled financially in late 2020 as he faced divorce payments, childcare costs and bills to refurbish his Downing Street flat.</p> <p><strong>CONTINUE READING:</strong> Nadhim Zahawi releases statement to address ‘financial confusion’</p> <p>Mr Sharp, who has donated £400,000 to the Conservative Party, got involved in November this year after a dinner at the home of Sam Blyth, a Canadian multi-millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson.</p> <p>He is said to have raised the idea of ​​acting as the prime minister’s guarantor and asked Mr Sharp for advice on the best way to proceed.</p> <p>Mr Sharp agreed to help and arrived at Downing Street in the first week of December to discuss the matter with Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary and Head of Public Services.</p> <p>HeraldScotland: </p> <p>Before the loan was finalized, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blyth had a private dinner at Checkers.</p> <p>In late December, the Cabinet Office’s decorum and ethics team wrote a formal letter urging Mr Johnson to stop seeking Mr Sharp’s advice on his personal finances in light of the upcoming ` appointment.</p> <p>By then, Mr Johnson had already chosen Mr Sharp as his preferred candidate and days later, on 6 January 2021, Oliver Dowden, then Culture Secretary, announced him as the Government’s choice for the £160,000-a-year role.</p> <p>Mr Sharp has not disclosed his involvement in Johnson’s finances to the `, nor at a hearing ahead of his appointment before a select committee of the House of Commons in February 2021.</p> <p>Mr Johnson explained Mr Blyth’s sponsorship of the £800,000 internally in March 2021.</p> <p><strong>CONTINUE READING: </strong>Tories seek publication of ministerial legal advice on gender bill</p> <p>The existence of the loan was never disclosed in the public version of the register, as officials believed it was for a cousin’s personal benefit and therefore did not pose a potential conflict of interest or meet the threshold for a “relevant” interest.</p> <p>The story goes on</p> <p>A ` spokesman said: “The ` has no role in the recruitment of the Chair and all questions are a matter for the Government.”</p> <p>Mr Sharp said: “There is no conflict if I simply connected Mr Blyth to the Cabinet Secretary at his request and had no further involvement whatsoever.”</p> <p>A spokesman for Mr Johnson told The Times: “This is rubbish. Richard Sharp has never advised Boris Johnson on any financial matter, nor has Mr Johnson sought financial advice from him.</p> <p>“For this or any other service, Mr Sharp has never received any remuneration or compensation from Boris Johnson.</p> <p>“Mr Johnson did in fact have dinner with Mr Sharp, who he has known for almost 20 years, and with his cousin. So what? Big thing.</p> <p>“All of Mr Johnson’s financial arrangements have been duly declared and registered on the advice of officials.”</p> <p><strong>CONTINUE READING: </strong>Anger at China and UAE’s multi-million offshore wind wins in Scotland</p> <p>The SNP’s Kirsty Blackman called for a full investigation into the arrangement.</p> <p>She said the reports reeked of “Tory sleaze.”</p> <p>The Aberdeen North MP said: “The UK Government must launch an independent inquiry to assess the circumstances of this loan, the adequacy of the agreement, the ethics of the appointment and whether Boris Johnson, the UK Government or the UK Government against Rules have broken ` chairman.</p> <p>“Many people will have serious concerns about the existence of this loan, the circumstances surrounding its brokerage and the increasingly close relationship between the Tory government and ` senior management. This somber agreement stinks to high heaven.</p> <p>“Sunlight is the best disinfectant and the public has a right to know what happened. As Westminster finds itself embroiled in one Tory dirt scandal after another, many people in Scotland will come to the conclusion that the whole system is rotten and only independence can provide the fresh start we need.”</p> <p>Labour’s shadow finance secretary Pat McFadden told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I more than feel that this sucks for the governance and the government, there are major problems facing the country is faced.</p> <p>“We need good government. I think it would be a tragedy if the result of all this was that people just turn their backs on politics and say, ‘You’re all a bunch of crooks and thieves’.”</p> <p>Asked if he thought the ` was impartial, Mr McFadden said: “Look, I’m not here to report for the `. I think it’s quite extraordinary when someone running for the presidency ends up acting as a broker to help the then Prime Minister out of the financial difficulties he was going through.</p> <p>“At the very least, it should have all been explained and made public. There is nothing about this in Boris Johnson’s declaration of interests as MP. It was brought out to the public by journalism, not by the people who are transparent and so I think this needs to be investigated.”</p> <p>Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said that Mr Sharp’s appointment as Chairman of the ` was, as far as he can tell, on merit.</p> <p>He told Sky News: “Well, I haven’t spoken to any of those parties about this situation.</p> <p>“I met Richard, we spoke about the (`) World Service, he struck me as an incredibly competent, experienced and thoughtful person. I can see exactly why he has the qualities, both personally and professionally, to be Chairman of the `.</p> <p>“As far as I can see, his appointment was made on those merits.”</p> <p>He added: “The fact is, Richard is undoubtedly an incredibly experienced person entering this role with, as I said, both personal and professional qualities that qualify him for the job.</p> <p>“We’ve had senior people at the ` who have political connections, most people have political connections, some of them are active, so it’s not at all unusual to have people in the higher echelons of the `.”</p> <div class=

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