During the recent #GaryGate controversy, BBC journalist Ben Brown began an interview with Alastair Campbell by highlighting Campbell's "business links" with Gary Lineker.

Richard Sharp has been the chairman of the BBC since February 2021. He was an advisor to Boris Johnson during his tenure as London Mayor, was Rishi Sunak's boss when they worked together at Goldman Sachs and was an unpaid advisor to Sunak whilst he was Chancellor. He has donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative Party.

In late 2020, Sharp introduced friend and millionaire Sam Blyth to Boris Johnson at a personal dinner at Chequers, the PM's country residence. Blyth went on to loan £800,000 to Johnson. Sharp insists the PM's finances were not discussed at the Chequers meeting. In February 2021, Sharp was announced as Chairman of the BBC.

As the arbiter of impartiality in the UK media, solely funded by license payer money, and dedicated to "speaking to truth to power", the BBC has a responsibility to everyone who funds it to make their own business links clear at the beginning of every news broadcast that will cover UK politics. 

A daily reminder of the BBC leadership's political partiality is the only fair outcome of the #GaryGate controversy.

Solidarity with Gary Lineker!