Another Tory crony could be put in charge of the BBC as ministers ignore Gary Lineker’s plea for them to butt out.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer insisted Rishi Sunak will pick the next chairman of the broadcaster.
And she threatened to put a Tory in the job, which is supposed to guard the BBC’s independence.
Richard Sharp has announced he will step down from the role after he failed to declare he had helped Boris Johnson get a £800,000 loan when he was appointed.
Critics have called on the PM to rule out appointing another Tory pal into the job, while Mr Lineker suggested Mr Sunak should not get to choose at all.
The Match Of The Day host argued the government should not pick who runs the broadcaster “not now, now ever”.
But Ms Frazer said the PM will make the choice and could pick a Tory.
“We will be looking for the best candidate,” she told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
“If they happen to have political allegiances or they've supported a party in the past, whether that is the Conservative Party or the Labour Party or indeed any other party, I don't think that should disqualify them.”
In a separate interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Frazer said she is looking "very closely" at the BBC's funding arrangement and that the licence fee "isn't the only way".
“I do think it might need to look at a variety of sources for its funding,” she said. “I'd like to ensure the BBC is properly funded. The licence fee isn't the only way."
Mr Sharp announced a week ago that he would resign after an investigation found he had broken rules by not disclosing “potential perceived conflicts of interest" during the appointments process.
The review by Adam Heppinstall KC revealed the Tory donor had suggested a friend could help Mr Johnson with his financial difficulties seven days before his interview for the BBC job.
He neither mentioned this to the panel or the fact he had held talks with the PM on his desire to be appointed before applying.
Mr Lineker was taken off air by the BBC in March after posting a tweet criticising the government’s “immeasurably cruel” immigration policy.
The football legend accused Tory ministers of using “language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s”.
He returned to his Match Of The Day presenting role following a boycott by top on-air talent.
Mr Sunak brought Mr Sharp, who was his boss at Goldman Sachs, into government as an economic adviser during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Johnson went on to appoint him as BBC Chairman in February 2021. He will remain in post until next month.
* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.
