David Dimbleby urges Rishi Sunak to exclude himself from nominating the next BBC chair following Richard Sharp’s scandal.

David Dimbleby has voiced his opinion that the process of appointing the next BBC chair should be changed, as Rishi Sunak should not be the one to do so after Richard Sharp’s resignation. Sharp was found to have broken the rules when he applied for the position, and failed to disclose his involvement in arranging a loan guarantee for Boris Johnson. While the BBC claims to base their appointment on “fair and open competition,” the final sign-off is decided by the prime minister. Speaking on the Today programme, Dimbleby suggested that a public commission should be created to manage appointments to important positions, and added that the boss of the BBC should not be chosen ever again by the prime minister. Another prominent BBC figure, Gary Lineker, also commented on Sharp’s resignation, stating that the BBC chairman should not be selected by the government. Damian Green, who heads the culture, media and sport committee, said he expects the process of appointing Sharp’s successor to be conducted “properly.” Despite accepting the findings of the report, Sharp will remain in his role until a successor is found, likely in June.