The UK’s Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has acknowledged a breach of the Governance Code on public appointments concerning her selection of David Kogan as the chair of the new Independent Football Regulator. An investigation revealed that she failed to disclose receiving donations from Kogan during her leadership campaign in 2020.
In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, Nandy expressed her regret for “unknowingly” violating the rules by not declaring the £2,900 donation from Kogan, which was made during her bid to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded, recognizing her good intentions but criticized the process, stating it did not meet the expected standards.
Kogan, a specialist in media rights, was appointed as the Government’s preferred candidate to lead the Independent Football Regulator in April. A probe began in the summer after it came to light that Kogan had also contributed financially to Starmer and other Labour figures, prompting complaints from the Conservative Party and calls for an official investigation.
In a report released on Thursday, Sir William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, identified three breaches of the Governance Code related to Kogan’s appointment. These included Nandy’s failure to disclose the donations, a lack of discussion regarding the potential conflict of interest during Kogan’s interview, and the omission of his connections to the Labour Party.
The report noted that Kogan made two donations totaling £2,900 to Nandy in 2020. Although Shawcross accepted that Nandy’s breach was unintentional, he emphasized that she should have checked for any financial ties before endorsing Kogan, especially since she had been informed of his “extensive links” to the Labour Party.
When Kogan’s candidacy was announced, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was expected to publicly acknowledge his political contributions, which amounted to £33,410 from him and his company over five years to the Labour Party and various candidates.
In response to the findings, Kogan stated that he was unaware of any procedural deviations during the appointment process and expressed relief that he could now move forward.
Nandy reiterated her regret in her correspondence with the Prime Minister. She acknowledged the commissioner’s conclusions, which found that she had unknowingly breached the Governance Code. “I appreciate the perception it could create, but it was not deliberate, and I apologise for it,” she wrote. Nandy asserted that she took proactive steps to check for any donations before the appointment process began, including reviewing the Electoral Commission and Parliamentary register.
In a written reply to Nandy, Prime Minister Sunak acknowledged the commissioner’s findings, confirming that her error was unknowing and accepted her assurance that there was no intention to compromise the Governance Code. He emphasized the need for improved guidance on handling conflicts of interest and stated that the report did not question Kogan’s suitability for the chair role.
Kogan concluded his remarks by expressing his commitment to cooperating with the investigation and now looking forward to focusing on establishing the Independent Football Regulator. “It is now time to move on and get on with the business of setting up the IFR so we can tackle the critical and urgent issues facing football,” he said.
