Watch: BBC boss throws Boris under a Boris shaped bus

The Commons culture committee is taking evidence from Richard Sharp, the BBC chairman, about claims that before his appointment he should have declared that he played a role in helping Boris Johnson get access to a £800,000 loan guarantee.

Sharp insists he did not need to declare this, because there was no conflict of interest.

He said that all that happened was that when Sam Blyth expressed interest in helping Boris Johnson out with his finances.

Blyth it turns out is a distant cousin of Johnson, and is very wealthy, and had read newspaper reports saying Johnson was short of cash.

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So Boris Johnson’s claims that Sharp ‘knew absolutely nothing about my finances, I can tell you that for 100% ding-dang sure,’ has been destroyed right there and it gets worse for Johnson…

🔥With, quite literally, his very first words, Richard Sharp demolishes Boris Johnson's primary defence that he "knew absolutely nothing about my finances, I can tell you that for 100% ding-dang sure". OOPS. 🔥~AA pic.twitter.com/PzZTo5olbN
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) February 7, 2023

He here is spouting off…

Boris Johnson was "ding dang sure" that BBC chair Richard Sharp knows nothing about his personal finances.

Here's Richard Sharp admitting he's known since September 2020 about Sam Blyth's intention to help Boris Johnson financially. pic.twitter.com/1ZjjjExrO8
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) February 7, 2023

Adam Bienkov’s tweet is amusing:

"I did not arrange a loan" for Boris Johnson, says BBC Chairman Richard Sharp, who helped to arrange a loan for Boris Johnson. pic.twitter.com/LscCMHAj3l
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) February 7, 2023

Sharp has now said he regrets the situation.

Richard Sharp, under intense pressure from @KevinBrennanMP, says he "regrets the situation", but on three occasions says the reason he did not disclose the issue to the selection committee, is that he "took comfort" from his conversation with cabinet secretary Simon Case. ~AA pic.twitter.com/Z0Y0jgtJ7b
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) February 7, 2023

He also seems to want to blame Simon Case for not making him disclose his role in the loan.

BBC Chairman, Richard Sharp, inches ever closer to blaming Simon Case for not disclosing his role in arranging a large loan for Boris Johnson.

"We had agreed that I would be excluded in a way that ensured it wasn't an issue that would need to be raised." ~AA @JulieElliottMP pic.twitter.com/S7dBt8CVnL
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) February 7, 2023

LBC’s James O’Brien sums it up and the video shared by the channel wrote: “James O’Brien runs through everything we know so far about the loan scandal involving Boris Johnson and BBC chairman Richard Sharp. And it is a scandal…”

James O'Brien runs through everything we know so far about the loan scandal involving Boris Johnson and BBC chairman Richard Sharp.

And it is a scandal…@mrjamesob pic.twitter.com/GrTY3Etj2I
— LBC (@LBC) February 7, 2023

This tweet is bang on the money?

Richard Sharp evidence so far:
• Was working in Downing Street anyway, on Covid projects.
• Told Johnson/Sunak he was going to apply for BBC job before he did.
• Introduced Sam Blyth to cabinet secretary.

All sounds very insular and cosy.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) February 7, 2023