Could A Change At The Treasury Follow The Change At The BBC

Oh what a tangled web they weave.

Richard Sharp and Andrew Griffith were a Director and Chairman of the Advisory Board respectively of the Centre for Policy Studies, a think tank founded by Margaret Thatcher.

No doubt Rich & Andy got on famously.

By 2013, two other people who were getting on famously were Rupert Murdoch, owner of Sky TV and Boris Johnson, the then Mayor of London.

Ruppie had tired of then PM David Cameron and his new playmate was BJ, someone the Sky owner felt was a wild-card, maverick and a general barrel of laughs.

Murdoch and Johnson are still bosom pals today, with the Billionaire recently paying the ex-PM over a £1/4 Million for a speech made in the US.

Anyway, what better way of cementing their friendship than if Boris helped Rupert undermine the BBC, a broadcaster Murdoch loathes?

Perhaps to facilitate this, Boris arranged for former Sky COO Andrew Griffith - yes, Richard Sharps buddy - to be parachuted into the safe seat of Arundel and South Downs in 2019. It meant kicking the encumbent MP upstairs to the House of Lords - but needs must.

Andrew only had to wait a matter of months before getting into a position where he could influence the future (demise?) of the BBC; until November 2020 in fact, when he was appointed as a member of the Public Service Broadcasting Advisory Panel, to provide independent (?) expertise and advice as part of the Government's strategic review of public service broadcasting.

It wasn’t explained how a 20-year player in Rupert Murdochs media circus could reasonably be described as “independent”.

In any event, three months later, Richard Sharp was appointed Chairman of the BBC.

The rest of this story, we all now know.

Richard Sharp has resigned, having seemingly forgotten to mention when being interviewed for the BBC job two tiny little matters 1) that he has played some part in a £800,000 loan being arranged for Boris  and 2) that he had told Boris he wanted the BBC Chairmanship.

Richard Sharp will soon be gone.

However, Andrew Griffith is now, rather oddly, in the role of Economic Secretary to the Treasury and made a startling apprearance in front of  a recent Treasury Select Comittee, at which he spoke of making London a Crypto and Central Bank Digital Currency “World Leader”.

Is JK Rowling now a speechwriter?

Clearly, Sky is NOT the limit for our Andy…

However, the question arises whether this chap, expert parachutist or not, is the right person to be in a role where he may be allowed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to decide the future of how 66 million UK citizens make payments?

Andrew may be a prince in some respects but he certainly has absolutely no experience in the payments market.

Which is probably why he gives every sign of favouring a "cashless" UK, despite the fact that a recent newspaper poll suggests that 95% of the British Public - you know, the voters - certainly do NOT want their country to become "cashless".

It wouldn't be a surprise if Mr G followed his buddy Mr Sharp through a door marked "EXIT".

Two Amigos, reunited.

Few would lament his passing, judging by that recent newspaper poll.

Saturday, 29th April 2023

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