Johnson was ‘told to stop seeking advice on finances’

Boris Johnson was formally asked by his then cabinet secretary to stop seeking “advice” about his financial affairs from Richard Sharp just days before he was announced as the BBC chair, according to reports.

A leaked Cabinet Office memo shows Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, was warned by Simon Case on 22 December 2020 to cease speaking to Sharp about his “personal financial matters”, the Sunday Times said.

On 6 January 2021, Sharp was announced as the BBC’s new chair. He was Johnson’s preferred candidate for the senior role.

The Cabinet Office document was drawn up after Johnson and Sharp sought advice in early December 2020 on accepting a loan of up to £800,000 ($990,00) guaranteed by the Canadian multimillionaire businessman Sam Blyth. Sharp described Blyth, who is a distant cousin of Johnson, as an “old friend”.