Can Richard Sharp survive as BBC chair?

The ex-Tory donor’s position is ‘untenable’ say opposition parties. Adam Forrest looks at whether a separate appointments probe will force his exit

Richard Sharp, the former Goldman Sachs banker who is currently BBC chair (PA)

BBC chair Richard Sharp is not likely to have enjoyed the weekend headlines on the “cash for Boris” row, or the Corporation’s own coverage of the latest fallout from his friendship with the former prime minister.

The senior figure may have hoped that by apologising to BBC staff for the distraction and by keeping his head down, he could plough on with the job. But after a damning report by a cross-party group of MPs, Mr Sharp is now fighting for his future.

Can he survive? The digital, culture, media and sport committee’s report came to a humiliating verdict, which makes it extremely difficult. The MPs found “significant errors of judgement” by failing to reveal his role in teeing up talks for Boris Johnson’s cousin Sam Blyth, who agreed to back an £800,000 loan for the PM.

Their report said he should “consider the impact of his omissions” on trust in the BBC, given that he failed to explain his ties to Mr Johnson before Mr Sharp was appointed BBC chair (ultimately an appointment made by Mr Johnson).

Labour said Mr Sharp’s position is “increasingly untenable”, while the SNP questioned how he can possibly “carry on”. Senior SNP MP John Nicholson – a member of the culture committee – said he had been “deluged” by messages from BBC staff saying they no longer trusted Mr Sharp.

Tory MPs, still largely supportive of Rishi Sunak’s efforts to clear up sleaze, consider it to be part of Mr Johnson’s extremely messy legacy, and wish it would all go away as quickly as possible.

Matters may come to a head very soon. The public appointments commissioner’s office is set to conclude a review of Mr Sharp’s appointment at the Beeb. But it remains unclear just how big a role Mr Sunak will play in deciding whether the chair can continue in the role.

The murky saga got murkier still when the public appointments commissioner William Shawcross recused himself from the probe ordered by No 10 last month – admitting he had met Mr Sharp “on previous occasions”.

But senior lawyer Adam Heppinstall KC is leading the investigation and is expected to conclude soon. If the report is sufficiently damning – picking up where MPs left off – then fellow members of the BBC board are likely to take a view on whether Mr Sharp can carry on.

Tory minister Andrew Mitchell said was “largely” a matter for the BBC board to make a decision on his future and suggested they perhaps make a “recommendation” on his future to the government.

But as BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg pointed out to the minister, the position of the BBC chair is ultimately decided by the government.

After the Nadhim Zahawi tax scandal, the Gavin Williamson resignation amid claims he threatened staff, and the Dominic Raab bullying investigation, Mr Sunak has quite enough “sleaze” on his plate.

If the public appointments probe is damning enough, the prime minister will desperately be hoping the men and women in grey suits at the BBC will have a quiet word with Mr Sharp and ask him to pack up his boxes, so No 10 can be seen to remain relatively clear of another ethics shambles.