Politics
No conflict of interest in appointing Labour donor as football regulator chair, No 10 says
There was no conflict of interest in the incoming football regulator chair donating to Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership campaign, Downing Street has said.
Appearing before the Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Wednesday, David Kogan admitted he had donated “very small sums of money” to the leadership bids of Sir Keir and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in 2020.
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Mr Kogan told the pre-appointment hearing this hadn’t been discovered by the media, but he was “happy to declare it now”.
The media executive was nominated as chairman of the Independent Football Regulator last month, having initially been approached by the previous Conservative government.
Mr Kogan insisted he had “total personal independence from all of them”, saying he had “never actually been particularly close to any of the individuals to whom I have donated money”.
Louie French, the shadow minister for sport, has suggested there was a “potential breach of the Governance Code on Public Appointments” on this matter, saying it “must urgently be investigated”.
Mr French later told the Commons that Labour’s decision not to disclose these donations when Mr Kogan’s appointment was announced “represents a clear discourtesy to both this House and the DCMS select committee”.
This appointment may need a VAR check
David Kogan’s appointment seems like a case of obvious cronyism.
A bit like committing a bookable offence with the referee only yards away: the referee in this fixture being Dame Caroline Dineage, who chairs the culture, media and sport committee.
Will the MPs’ decision now go into extra time?
Tory MP Louie French wants to blow the whistle on his appointment, claiming it’s a breach of the code on public appointments.
French claims politics and sport shouldn’t mix. But every football fan knows they do, of course. Arsenal fan Starmer is just the latest prime minister to parade his passion for football.
Ironically, the regulator is not a Labour idea. It was in Boris Johnson’s 2019 Conservative manifesto and was recommended in a review by the former Tory sports minister Tracey Crouch in 2021.
But even before it kicks off, it’s showing relegation form. The Arsenal vice chair Tim Lewis, West Ham vice chair Baroness Karren Brady, and Brighton chief executive Paul Barber have all put the boot in.
Brady, a Tory peer and leading opponent in the House of Lords, claims it could deter investment. Barber claims clubs could cut funding for academies and women and girls’ football.
Now it looks like Kogan’s candour before the MPs has put him in an offside position.
And his appointment is now surely a decision for VAR.
However, Downing Street has said “all the rules have been followed” in the appointment of Mr Kogan.
He was confirmed as the culture secretary’s preferred candidate to head the watchdog on 25 April.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson insisted that a “fair and open competition” was run for the position.
Number 10 added that political activity “should not affect judgements of merit”.
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Lisa Nandy. Pic: PA
However, this is not the first time the appointment of the Labour Party donor has led to accusations of cronyism.
Ms Nandy rejected those claims during the Football Governance Bill’s second reading on 28 April, and pointed out the previous Conservative government had also targeted Mr Kogan for the role prior to last summer’s election.
He has previously advised the Premier League, the EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights deals in a 45-year career as a media executive, business leader and corporate adviser.
The regulator’s main remit will be to operate a licensing system for clubs in the top five tiers of the English game, focusing primarily on their financial sustainability and how accountable they are to their fans.
The legislation which will give the regulator statutory backing – the Football Governance Bill – is progressing through parliament.