Calls for BBC chairman Richard Sharp to step down are growing louder, after a cross-party group of MPs found he made “significant errors of judgment” in helping to facilitate a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee backed Sharp’s appointment last year, but it was not made aware of his role in the £800,000 loan.
Sharp’s defence is that he did inform Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, and it was agreed that he should have no further involvement in the matter. Yet the saga leaves not only a bitter taste in the mouth, but a cloud over the BBC and disquiet among its staff.
The committee overseeing the BBC chairman’s appointment has now concluded that his actions “constitute a breach of the standards expected of individuals” and that he should “consider the impact his omissions will have” on trust in the broadcaster.
It is therefore increasingly difficult to see how Sharp can stay in the role, or how he can justify the damage his continued stewardship is inflicting on the BBC.
Childcare costs spiral
The London housing market may be cooling, but the cost of raising a child in the capital continues its seemingly inexorable, recession-proof rise.
New figures from a Government childcare and early years provider shows that the average hourly cost of childcare in the UK for toddlers is now £7.30.
Ealing has the highest average childcare costs in London, according to analysis published by childcare.co.uk, at £10.84 an hour. Some nurseries are charging more than £2,000 per month for a five-day-a-week place for children aged two and under.
Beyond the strains and costs for individuals and families, this has a widespread impact on the wider economy. Record-high childcare costs are forcing many parents to cut down their hours or leave the workforce entirely.
We need a large-scale expansion in childcare provision, yet supply is contracting. Data for August 2021 to 2022 finds that the number of early years providers in London fell by six per cent, and in some boroughs by 10 per cent.
Childcare needs to be a central subject at the next general election.
Mulberry message
Mulberry, the luxury British fashion brand, is today closing its Bond Street store due to a lack of tourist trade. It is not that London has ceased to become a worldwide destination but the end of tax-free shopping has, as we have repeatedly warned, consequences.
It is now cheaper to shop elsewhere in Europe. Not only do our stores miss out, but our hotels, restaurants and theatres too. If the Government wants the capital’s high-end shops to recover, and compete with rivals in Paris or Milan, it must reinstate tax-free shopping for tourists.
