Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has acknowledged breaching public appointment rules after failing to disclose that David Kogan, her preferred candidate to chair the new Independent Football Regulator, had donated £2,900 to her leadership campaign. The situation has raised significant concerns regarding transparency in government appointments.
In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, Nandy apologized for “unknowingly” violating the code on public appointments. The donations from Kogan were made during her bid to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in the 2020 leadership race. Following the revelation, the Prime Minister stated that Nandy had “acted in good faith” but criticized the appointment process for not meeting expected standards.
Kogan, an expert in media rights, was named the Government’s preferred candidate for the regulatory role in April 2023. A probe was initiated in the summer after it became public that he had made donations to both Starmer and Nandy, as well as other Labour Party figures. Complaints from the Conservatives prompted the investigation by the commissioner for public appointments, Sir William Shawcross.
In his report released on Thursday, Shawcross identified three breaches of the Governance Code during Kogan’s appointment. He noted Nandy’s failure to disclose his donations, the lack of discussion regarding potential conflicts of interest during the interview, and the absence of information about Kogan’s connections to the Labour Party.
Kogan’s donations included two contributions totaling £2,900 to Nandy in 2020. The commissioner recognized that while Nandy “unknowingly” breached the code, she should have verified any financial ties before selecting Kogan as the top candidate, especially given her awareness of his “extensive links” to the Labour Party.
Shawcross also indicated that when announcing Kogan’s candidacy, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport should have disclosed his political contributions, amounting to £33,410 donated by him and his company to the Labour Party and Labour candidates over the previous five years.
In response to the findings, Kogan stated he had never perceived any deviation from established best practices in the appointment process. He expressed relief at the conclusion of the investigation, indicating that he could “now draw a line under the process.”
Nandy expressed her regret over the oversight, emphasizing that she took steps to check for donations before the appointment process began. She stated, “I want to assure you that I took robust steps before the process began to check the Electoral Commission and Parliamentary register for any donations I had received since I became a Member of Parliament in 2010.”
In a formal response to Nandy’s apology, the Prime Minister reiterated acceptance of her assurances that there was no intentional wrongdoing on her part. He remarked, “I know you to be a person of integrity,” but added that the process “was not entirely up to the standard expected.” He welcomed the department’s willingness to cooperate with the commissioner and the Cabinet Office to improve guidelines on managing conflicts of interest.
Kogan, reaffirming his commitment to the role, stated, “As the commissioner states, my suitability for the role has never been in question.” He emphasized the need to move forward and address the critical issues facing football, as the establishment of the Independent Football Regulator begins.
