The BBC’s unjustified treatment of Gary Lineker for supporting refugees has thrown the corporation into crisis.

BBC chair Richard Sharp should resign over this mess alone – but the problems go much deeper. The chair is supposed to be impartial in their decisions and uphold BBC independence, but Sharp is closely linked to the Tory government.

Sharp played a crucial role in arranging an £800,000 loan for former prime minister Boris Johnson. This is already under investigation.

He is a long-standing Tory donor, handing the party over £400,000 – and he is Rishi Sunak’s former boss at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for two decades.

The Tories sitting at the top of the BBC, combined with open pressure from Tory MPs and ministers, are the reason why pro-government voices are allowed on the BBC but critical voices are increasingly silenced.

Labour and the Lib Dems have already called for Sharp to go, as well as veteran broadcasters and a poll of BBC staff.

Stopping the rot starts with putting people in charge of the BBC who value its independence and will stand up to the Tories, not cosy up to them.

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Highlighted comments

The top jobs at the BBC are held by Tory party supporters, members and donors, which throws any notion of impartiality out of the window. It has to end.

Jack, Medway

I want trustworthy reporting, independent of any government pressure.

Anna, North Yorkshire

I firmly believe that the job of the BBC should be to hold the government of the day to account, not to be its mouthpiece.

Carol, Renfrewshire

State control of the BBC by stealth has to be challenged and stopped.

David, South London

The breach of impartiality is by Richard Sharp, not Gary Lineker. Criticising a policy is merely free speech; financing a specific political party embodies partiality.

Jane, Reading

The BBC shouldn’t be under any form of political control. Richard Sharp was appointed by the worst PM this country has ever endured.

Edward, Fife