FORMER BBC chair Richard Sharp has been put forward for a significant honour by Rishi Sunak, according to a report.
Sharp previously resigned from his role at the broadcaster following the publication of a report which found he had broken the corporation’s code on public appointments.
It came after it emerged that Sharp played a role in facilitating an £800,000 loan guarantee for then-prime minister Boris Johnson (below).
According to The Times, Whitehall sources initially said Sharp was to be nominated for a peerage although there are now suggestions it could be a knighthood.
Peerages are vetted by the independent House of Lords appointment committee, which can advise the prime minister against elevating individuals to the upper chamber.
Other honours, including knighthoods, are in the prime minister’s gift although are submitted to the Cabinet Office for “probity and propriety” checks.
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Former prime minister Theresa May is also being put forward for a Companion of Honour, the newspaper reports.
This is given in recognition to those who have made a “major contribution” to arts, science, medicine or government.
Sharp and May are expected to be included on the dissolution honours list, which typically rewards MPs standing down at the election.
Should Sunak lose the election, he will have an opportunity to award allies with a resignation honours list, which recognises those who have assisted the prime minister during their time in office.
Sharp resigned from the BBC after failing to declare his involvement in helping Johnson secure a guarantee on a £800,000 loan, weeks before being recommended for the role of BBC chairman.
The Sunday Times reported that Sharp introduced Simon Case, head of the civil service, to Sam Blyth, a Canadian businessman and distant cousin of Johnson.
The former PM was thought to be in need of funds and Blyth reportedly raised the idea of acting as the prime minister’s guarantor.
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Sharp was also Sunak’s boss at the investment bank Goldman Sachs having spent eight years at JP Morgan before this.
He was also an informal adviser to Sunak during the pandemic, when the now-prime minister served as chancellor.
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