Overview
- The Commissioner for Public Appointments ruled that Lisa Nandy breached the Governance Code in three ways during the selection of David Kogan as chair of the Independent Football Regulator.
- Breaches included not declaring two donations totalling £2,900 from Kogan to Nandy’s 2020 leadership campaign, not raising the potential conflict at his interview, and not disclosing his wider political activity.
- The report noted £33,410 in donations by Kogan and his company to Labour and Labour candidates over the previous five years.
- Nandy apologised, saying the error was unknowing and that she declared the donations and recused herself once they came to light; the Prime Minister accepted her good faith but said the process fell short of expected standards.
- Kogan’s appointment remains in place and his suitability was not questioned, as the commissioner pressed the Cabinet Office and departments to tighten guidance on handling conflicts of interest, while Conservatives called the episode cronyism and urged his removal.