Conservatives have condemned Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s decision to appoint a “Labour crony” as England’s first football regulator after it emerged the new watchdog donated money to her and to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Former BBC executive David Kogan revealed he contributed “very small sums of money” to the leadership campaigns of both politicians, when they were battling to replace former leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2020.
He has now been named the Government’s preferred candidate for a £130,000-a-year role as chair of the Independent Football Regulator, set up to ensure English football clubs have sound finances and consult fans. Shadow sports minister Louie French demanded a new candidate be found for the role. The Tory MP said: “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 provided advice to sports bodies including the Premier League following a career in journalism, inisted he had “absolute independence of political control” despite being a long-standing Labour donor. He told a hearing 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 said he funded both 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 also said he donated money to Labour candidates hoping to become MPs. He said: “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 records show he also made a donation of £2,500.00 in May 2024 to Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, Sir Keir’s local party. David Kogan Ltd, of which he is the sole director, made further donations to Labour MPs totalling £30,910 between 2022 and 2024.
But he told 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 also said he had initially been approached about the role by the previous Conservative government.
The regulator post, to be based in Greater Manchester, is being created as part of the Football Governance Bill, currently making its way through Parliament. Critics such as Karren Brady, the West Ham vice-chairman and a Conservative member of the House of Lords, have raised concerns that the laws could jeopardise England’s participation in international contests by breaching rules barring governments from interfering in the running of the game.