BBC chairman Richard Sharp today defended the corporation’s recruitment processes, amid claims a board member with links to the Conservative government attempted to block Jess Brammar’s appointment as executive news director.

Sharp told the digital, culture, media, and sport committee that Sir Robbie Gibb was within his rights to raise concerns of “reputational importance”.

Gibb had called into question Brammar’s impartiality due to her social media history, in which she had previously criticised political topics such as Boris Johnson and Brexit.