Overview
- Public appointments chief Sir William Shawcross said the hiring breached the code three times, faulting undisclosed political activity and highlighting £33,410 in donations by David Kogan and his company in the previous five years.
- Lisa Nandy said Labour donations by Kogan were discussed at his interview but not the two payments to her 2020 leadership bid; she apologized and recused herself the day those links were flagged, while Kogan says he supplied a full list of his donations.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a formal reprimand, saying Nandy acted in good faith despite the process falling short of expected standards.
- The Conservatives wrote to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg and to the prime minister’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus requesting further investigations into Nandy’s non‑declaration and potential conflicts involving the PM.
- Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake questioned two £1,450 payments to Nandy’s 2020 campaign that sat below the £1,500 disclosure threshold, alleging they were split between Kogan and his company to avoid public declaration.