Overview
- The Commissioner for Public Appointments found three breaches of the Governance Code in the government’s selection of David Kogan to chair the new Independent Football Regulator.
- Lisa Nandy apologized for an unknowing breach after failing to declare two donations from Kogan to her 2020 leadership campaign before interviewing and selecting him as the preferred candidate.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer accepted that Nandy acted in good faith but said the process fell short of expected standards and urged lessons to be learned.
- The report cites inadequate discussion of a potential conflict at interview and faults the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for not appropriately disclosing Kogan’s wider political activity, including about £33,410 in donations over five years.
- The findings do not question Kogan’s suitability for the role, and the report recommends improved guidance and coordination to prevent similar failures in future.