Probe urged over claims BBC chair helped Johnson secure loan

Labour is calling for an urgent investigation after claims the chairman of the BBC helped Boris Johnson secure a loan - just weeks before Mr Johnson then recommended him for the job.

According to the Sunday Times, BBC chairman Richard Sharp helped arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to 800,000 for then-prime minister Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson called the story "rubbish".

And Mr Sharp said there was a not a conflict as he "simply connected" the people involved in the loan.

The Sunday Times' story claims Mr Sharp - a Conservative Party donor - was involved in talks about financing Mr Johnson when he was in financial difficulty in late 2020.

Mr Sharp was announced as the government's choice for the new BBC chairman in January 2021. The BBC chairman is a role appointed on the recommendation of ministers.