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| Elan Closs Stephens appointed acting chair of BBC | Elan Closs Stephens appointed acting chair of BBC |
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| Corporation board member to assume role from 27 June after resignation of Richard Sharp | Corporation board member to assume role from 27 June after resignation of Richard Sharp |
| Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens, a politically neutral expert on broadcasting regulation, has been appointed as the acting chair of the BBC after the Conservative donor Richard Sharp resigned from the position over a perceived conflict of interest in a secret loan arrangement for Boris Johnson. | Prof Dame Elan Closs Stephens, a politically neutral expert on broadcasting regulation, has been appointed as the acting chair of the BBC after the Conservative donor Richard Sharp resigned from the position over a perceived conflict of interest in a secret loan arrangement for Boris Johnson. |
| Sharp stepped down as chair of the corporation in April, after being found to have broken rules by failing to disclose at the time of his appointment that he played a role in helping the then Tory prime minister secure a potential £800,000 loan guarantee. | Sharp stepped down as chair of the corporation in April, after being found to have broken rules by failing to disclose at the time of his appointment that he played a role in helping the then Tory prime minister secure a potential £800,000 loan guarantee. |
| On Friday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said Stephens would lead the BBC board from 27 June for 12 months, or until a new permanent chair had been appointed, whichever was sooner. | On Friday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said Stephens would lead the BBC board from 27 June for 12 months, or until a new permanent chair had been appointed, whichever was sooner. |
| Announcing the move, the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, said Stephens had the unanimous support of the BBC board. “When she takes over, Dame Elan will provide stability in the leadership of the BBC while a process to appoint a new permanent chair is run.” | Announcing the move, the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, said Stephens had the unanimous support of the BBC board. “When she takes over, Dame Elan will provide stability in the leadership of the BBC while a process to appoint a new permanent chair is run.” |
| The department said any political activity in the past five years must be declared for the £160,000-a-year role. Stephens has not declared any such activity. | The department said any political activity in the past five years must be declared for the £160,000-a-year role. Stephens has not declared any such activity. |
| Sharp resigned after an investigation by the UK commissioner of public appointments concluded he had broken rules by failing to declare his link to Johnson’s loan guarantee, creating a “potential perceived conflict of interest”. | Sharp resigned after an investigation by the UK commissioner of public appointments concluded he had broken rules by failing to declare his link to Johnson’s loan guarantee, creating a “potential perceived conflict of interest”. |
| Sharp introduced the Canadian businessman Sam Blyth to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, to discuss a possible loan to Johnson. Sharp insisted he took no further role and that Blyth went on to guarantee a loan to Johnson via a different route. | Sharp introduced the Canadian businessman Sam Blyth to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, to discuss a possible loan to Johnson. Sharp insisted he took no further role and that Blyth went on to guarantee a loan to Johnson via a different route. |
| The row over his role as chair fuelled criticism that the BBC had become too close to the Conservative government and was unable to stand up to meddling from ministers. | The row over his role as chair fuelled criticism that the BBC had become too close to the Conservative government and was unable to stand up to meddling from ministers. |
| Sharp’s resignation prompted opposition calls for an independent process to find his replacement. Speaking at the time, Labour’s Lucy Powell said the incident had “caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives’ sleaze and cronyism”. | Sharp’s resignation prompted opposition calls for an independent process to find his replacement. Speaking at the time, Labour’s Lucy Powell said the incident had “caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives’ sleaze and cronyism”. |
| She added: “Rishi Sunak should urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much”. | She added: “Rishi Sunak should urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much”. |
| Sharp came under increased pressure to quit after the corporation apologised for its handling of an impartiality row over the Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker. | Sharp came under increased pressure to quit after the corporation apologised for its handling of an impartiality row over the Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker. |
| After tweets criticising the government’s language on immigration, Lineker was taken off air. He was reinstated, pending a review of social media use by BBC stars, amid claims that Sharp’s closeness to the government made the corporation’s stance on impartiality untenable. | After tweets criticising the government’s language on immigration, Lineker was taken off air. He was reinstated, pending a review of social media use by BBC stars, amid claims that Sharp’s closeness to the government made the corporation’s stance on impartiality untenable. |
| After Sharp’s resignation, Lineker said the government should never be involved in appointing the chair of the BBC. | |
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| Stephens has been a member of the BBC’s governing body since 2010, first serving as member for Wales on the BBC Trust and then as the Welsh member of the BBC board. | Stephens has been a member of the BBC’s governing body since 2010, first serving as member for Wales on the BBC Trust and then as the Welsh member of the BBC board. |
| She is also a member of the Electoral Commission, a former chair of S4C, the Welsh fourth channel, and emeritus professor of communications and creative industries at Aberystwyth University. | She is also a member of the Electoral Commission, a former chair of S4C, the Welsh fourth channel, and emeritus professor of communications and creative industries at Aberystwyth University. |
| After her appointment, Stephens said: “It’s a huge honour to be appointed by the secretary of state as acting chair and I am grateful to my fellow board members for putting their trust in me. | After her appointment, Stephens said: “It’s a huge honour to be appointed by the secretary of state as acting chair and I am grateful to my fellow board members for putting their trust in me. |
| “As a board, we will champion the licence fee-payer across all of the UK; ensure the BBC is a vital partner for the UK creative industries; maintain trust and drive change to make the BBC fit for a fast-changing media landscape. There is much work to be done.” | “As a board, we will champion the licence fee-payer across all of the UK; ensure the BBC is a vital partner for the UK creative industries; maintain trust and drive change to make the BBC fit for a fast-changing media landscape. There is much work to be done.” |
| Stephens’ appointment came as the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said 93% of BBC journalists working across local television, online and radio had expressed a vote of no confidence in the broadcaster’s senior leadership in a May survey. | |
| NUJ members in England are due to go on strike on 7–8 June over a dispute between the union and the BBC over changes to jobs and local radio programmes. |