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| BBC needs new rules for appointing chair in wake of Richard Sharp affair, says David Dimbleby | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Current system gives too much power to prime ministers says broadcaster – but rules himself out of running | Current system gives too much power to prime ministers says broadcaster – but rules himself out of running |
| The veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has said a cross-party public commission should appoint the BBC chair, in the wake of Richard Sharp’s resignation after breaking rules over dealings with Boris Johnson – but ruled himself out of the running for the job. | The veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has said a cross-party public commission should appoint the BBC chair, in the wake of Richard Sharp’s resignation after breaking rules over dealings with Boris Johnson – but ruled himself out of the running for the job. |
| Sharp resigned after being found to have breached public appointment rules for failing to declare a connection to a secret £800,000 loan for the UK’s former prime minister. | Sharp resigned after being found to have breached public appointment rules for failing to declare a connection to a secret £800,000 loan for the UK’s former prime minister. |
| Talking to BBC Radio Four’s Today programme, Dimbleby said the current system gives too much power to prime ministers to select the BBC chair and that a new way needs to be found. | Talking to BBC Radio Four’s Today programme, Dimbleby said the current system gives too much power to prime ministers to select the BBC chair and that a new way needs to be found. |
| “We’re not idiots politically, we know everybody has political views. We know they disagree,” Dimbleby said. “But we look for somebody to run something like the BBC who sets their politics to one side, the best way of assuring that would be to have a commission made up of all parties, in political parties and let them decide.” | “We’re not idiots politically, we know everybody has political views. We know they disagree,” Dimbleby said. “But we look for somebody to run something like the BBC who sets their politics to one side, the best way of assuring that would be to have a commission made up of all parties, in political parties and let them decide.” |
| Earlier this year, the Sunday Times revealed that Sharp had secretly helped an acquaintance, Sam Blyth, who wanted to offer an £800,000 personal loan guarantee for Johnson, during the period Sharp was applying to be BBC chair. | Earlier this year, the Sunday Times revealed that Sharp had secretly helped an acquaintance, Sam Blyth, who wanted to offer an £800,000 personal loan guarantee for Johnson, during the period Sharp was applying to be BBC chair. |
| Sharp resigned on Friday after an investigation by the commissioner of public appointments that concluded Sharp broke the rules by failing to declare this link to the secret £800,000 loan, creating a “potential perceived conflict of interest”. | Sharp resigned on Friday after an investigation by the commissioner of public appointments that concluded Sharp broke the rules by failing to declare this link to the secret £800,000 loan, creating a “potential perceived conflict of interest”. |
| It is still not known who ultimately provided Johnson with the loan, which became public only after he left office. | It is still not known who ultimately provided Johnson with the loan, which became public only after he left office. |
| Dimbleby said although it was unclear whether Sharp had misled or should have explained further about his involvement in the loan, the affair shows that a new way of appointing the BBC chair should be found. | Dimbleby said although it was unclear whether Sharp had misled or should have explained further about his involvement in the loan, the affair shows that a new way of appointing the BBC chair should be found. |
| Dimbleby also told the Today programme that Johnson “rode roughshod over accepted practices” during his time in No 10 and that the former prime minister lent on the Department for Media, Culture and Sport to get Sharp appointed. | Dimbleby also told the Today programme that Johnson “rode roughshod over accepted practices” during his time in No 10 and that the former prime minister lent on the Department for Media, Culture and Sport to get Sharp appointed. |
| Pointing to Johnson’s proroguing of parliament in 2019, Dimbleby said Johnson’s behaviour had “blown apart” the UK’s political system, which “works by convention and practice and habit and relies on people behaving decently”. | Pointing to Johnson’s proroguing of parliament in 2019, Dimbleby said Johnson’s behaviour had “blown apart” the UK’s political system, which “works by convention and practice and habit and relies on people behaving decently”. |
| He said Johnson’s behaviour showed why the power of the prime minister in choosing the BBC chair needed to be curtailed. | He said Johnson’s behaviour showed why the power of the prime minister in choosing the BBC chair needed to be curtailed. |
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| When asked if he would be interested in becoming the next BBC chair, Dimbleby ruled himself out of the running. He has previously applied for the role twice unsuccessfully. | When asked if he would be interested in becoming the next BBC chair, Dimbleby ruled himself out of the running. He has previously applied for the role twice unsuccessfully. |
| “I’m now focusing on broadcasting, which has always been my greatest pleasure. So I’ll carry on doing that. And if asked to do it, I’ll say, ‘No, thank you very much, not this time round,’”he said. | “I’m now focusing on broadcasting, which has always been my greatest pleasure. So I’ll carry on doing that. And if asked to do it, I’ll say, ‘No, thank you very much, not this time round,’”he said. |
| On Newsnight on Friday, the former BBC journalist Andrew Marr endorsed Dimbleby as a good candidate for the job. | On Newsnight on Friday, the former BBC journalist Andrew Marr endorsed Dimbleby as a good candidate for the job. |
| He said: “I personally would like to see a really big, experienced proponent of public service broadcasting who would remoralise and lead the BBC in a new way. He will not thank me for saying so, but someone like David Dimbleby is who I’d like to see.” | He said: “I personally would like to see a really big, experienced proponent of public service broadcasting who would remoralise and lead the BBC in a new way. He will not thank me for saying so, but someone like David Dimbleby is who I’d like to see.” |