Conservatives have condemned Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s determination to nominate a “Labour crony” as England’s first soccer regulator after it emerged the brand new watchdog donated cash to her and to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Former BBC govt David Kogan revealed he contributed “very small sums of money” to the management campaigns of each politicians, after they had been battling to exchange former chief Jeremy Corbyn in 2020.
He has now been named the Government’s most well-liked candidate for a £130,000-a-year function as chair of the Independent Football Regulator, arrange to make sure English soccer golf equipment have sound funds and seek the advice of followers. Shadow sports activities minister Louie French demanded a brand new candidate be discovered for the function. The Tory MP stated: “A Labour crony cannot lead an ‘independent’ football regulator. Yet, Labour has appointed one of its key donors, bringing into question the appointment process and putting football at risk.
“It’s cronies over clubs, favours over fans, and it will hurt our beautiful game.”
Mr Kogan, who offered recommendation to sports activities our bodies together with the Premier League following a profession in journalism, inisted he had “absolute independence of political control” regardless of being a long-standing Labour donor. He informed a listening to of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee: “Five years ago I contributed very small sums of money to the campaigns for the leadership of the Labour party of both Sir Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy.”
He stated he funded each politicians “in the belief that having a leadership battle within the Labour party with two seasoned candidates was a good thing, not a bad thing.”
Mr Kogan additionally stated he donated cash to Labour candidates hoping to develop into MPs. He stated: “I have never actually been particularly close to any of the individuals to whom I donated money, so I have total personal independence from all of them.”
Electoral Commission data present he additionally made a donation of £2,500.00 in May 2024 to Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, Sir Keir’s native get together. David Kogan Ltd, of which he’s the only director, made additional donations to Labour MPs totalling £30,910 between 2022 and 2024.
But he informed MPs: “I have never had a one-on-one meeting with Keir Starmer. I have never met Keir Starmer since he has become Prime Minister—I have literally not been in a room with him.”
Mr Kogan additionally stated he had initially been approached concerning the function by the earlier Conservative authorities.
The regulator publish, to be based mostly in Greater Manchester, is being created as a part of the Football Governance Bill, presently making its means via Parliament. Critics equivalent to Karren Brady, the West Ham vice-chairman and a Conservative member of the House of Lords, have raised considerations that the legal guidelines may jeopardise England’s participation in worldwide contests by breaching guidelines barring governments from interfering within the working of the sport.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2051977/keir-starmer-lisa-nandy-appointed