The Culture Secretary has issued an apology for a breach of protocol involving the non-declaration of donations received from the individual she selected to lead England’s forthcoming football regulator.
A report released Thursday by the Commissioner for Public Appointments revealed that David Kogan had made two separate donations, totaling £1,450, to Lisa Nandy during her 2020 Labour leadership campaign.
Speaking on the BBC’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,” Nandy stated, “We didn’t meet the highest standards – that is on me.”
The Conservative Party has characterized Nandy’s actions as “a serious breach of public trust” and is urging a further investigation into Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who also received donations from Mr. Kogan.
In a statement, Mr. Kogan clarified that he was encouraged to apply for the role by the previous Conservative government, who were aware of his history as a Labour donor and had previously appointed him to the board of Channel 4.
“I committed to be completely politically impartial when the select committee interviewed me and have ended all connections with the Labour Party,” he added.
He also noted that the commissioner did not question his suitability for the position and that the Conservative chair of the culture committee had “endorsed me for the role provided I demonstrated political independence”.
Mr. Kogan, an executive in sports rights, was initially shortlisted for the football regulator position under the previous Conservative administration.
Nandy’s involvement in the process began after Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, when she assumed the role of Culture Secretary.
In April, she announced Mr. Kogan as her preferred candidate for the £130,000-a-year position.
However, the following month, she recused herself from the appointment process after Mr. Kogan disclosed to a parliamentary committee that he had donated “very small sums” to Nandy in 2020.
Sir William Shawcross, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, stated in his report that Nandy had “unknowingly” violated the public appointments code and should have verified whether Mr. Kogan had contributed financially to her campaign before designating him as her preferred candidate.
According to the commissioner, these contributions were part of total donations worth £33,410 to Labour and its candidates in the five years leading up to his appointment.
Mr. Kogan’s donations to Nandy were below the declaration thresholds established by the Electoral Commission and Parliament.
When questioned about why she had not declared the donation during the appointment process, Nandy explained that she was unaware of the contributions at the time they were made.
She explained that during her leadership campaign, she had been “out on the road” attending hustings and interviews.
“I wasn’t involved in fundraising for the campaign, and as soon as I found out I declared it and recused myself and I complied fully with the process.”
She asserted that Labour operates differently from the Conservatives, stating: “When we make mistakes – and we will make mistakes, we are human beings – we put ourselves through independent processes, we respect the outcome and we take the consequences.”
In his report, Sir William noted: “It need not be true that the donations actually influenced the secretary of state’s decision-making – only that the risk of this perception should have been mitigated by declaration of this financial interest.”
He concluded that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had breached public appointment regulations by failing to disclose Mr. Kogan’s previous donations to Labour when he was announced as the government’s preferred candidate for the position.
Sir William also determined that the department violated regulations by not discussing the donations to Nandy during Mr. Kogan’s interview for the job.
Following the report’s publication, Nandy submitted a letter to the Prime Minister, stating: “I deeply regret this error. I appreciate the perception it could create.”
In response, Sir Keir wrote: “I know you to be a person of integrity and on the basis of your letter, it is clear you have acted in good faith.”
In May 2024, Mr. Kogan donated £2,500 to the Prime Minister’s local Labour branch in Holborn and St Pancras.
The Conservatives have requested that the government’s ethics advisor, Sir Laurie Magnus, investigate whether Sir Keir’s involvement in Mr. Kogan’s appointment violated ministerial guidelines on transparency.
Downing Street has stated that Sir William has already conducted a thorough review and “found no breaches aside from those set out in the report.”
The football regulator role was established following a fan-led review of the management of football clubs.
The regulator is tasked with enhancing the financial sustainability of clubs and safeguarding “the heritage of English football.”