Lisa Nandy apologises for breaking rules on football regulator

The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has apologised for breaching rules by failing to declare that she had received contributions from the man she chose to head England's new football authority.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments published a report on Thursday finding that David Kogan made two separate donations, totalling £1,450, to Lisa Nandy when she was running to be Labour leader in 2020.

Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Nandy said: 'We didn't meet the highest requirements... it's on me.'

The Conservatives have stated that Nandy's actions were 'a serious breach of public confidence' and have requested a new inquiry into Sir Keir Starmer, who also received support from Mr Kogan.

Mr Kogan said in a tweet: 'My suitability for the position has never been in question, and I was unaware of any deviation from best practice at any time.'

Background to the Appointment

Mr Kogan, a sports rights official, had been considered for the role of football regulator under the previous Conservative government. After Labour won the 2024 general election and Nandy assumed the role of Culture Secretary, she became involved in the process. In April, she announced that Mr Kogan was her preferred choice for the £130,000-a-year role.

However, she recused herself from the appointment process a month later, after Mr Kogan revealed to a parliamentary committee that he had donated 'very little money' to Nandy in 2020.

In his report, the commissioner (Sir William Shawcross) found that Nandy had 'unknowingly' breached the rules and that the department should have investigated whether Mr Kogan had given her money before she chose him as her preferred candidate.

According to the commissioner, the contributions were part of a total donation of £33,410 to Labour and the party's candidates in the five years leading up to his appointment. Mr Kogan's contributions to Nandy were below the Electoral Commission's and Parliament's declaration thresholds.

The Report's Findings

Lisa Nandy told Laura Kuenssberg that she had no idea about the donation at the time it was made. She explained that during her leadership campaign, she had been 'out on the road' doing hustings and interviews.

'I wasn't involved in [running] the campaign, but as soon as I found it out, I declared it, recused myself, and complied completely with the procedure,' she said.

Sir William's report stated: 'It need not be true that the contributions influenced the Secretary of State's decision-making, but... the risk of this perception might have been minimised by the declaration of this financial interest.'

He found that the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) had breached the rules by failing to declare Mr Kogan's previous contributions to Labour when he was named as the government's preferred choice. Sir William also found that the department broke the rules by failing to discuss the donations to Nandy when Mr Kogan was interviewed.

Political Fallout

After the report was published, Nandy wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, saying: 'I deeply regret this mistake. I appreciate the perception it could create.'

Sir Keir Starmer wrote in reply: 'I know you to be a person of integrity, and on the basis of your letter, it is clear you have behaved in good faith.'

Mr Kogan also donated £2,500 to the Prime Minister's local Labour branch in Holborn and St Pancras in May 2024. The Conservatives have claimed that Sir Keir's involvement in Mr Kogan's appointment also broke ministerial rules on transparency.

Downing Street said that Sir William Shawcross had already completed an extensive investigation and 'found no infractions other than those listed in the report.'

The football regulator role was established following a fan-led review into football club governance. The regulator has been charged with improving the financial stability of clubs and safeguarding 'the heritage of English football.'