Culture Secretary Breaches Governance Code
Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has issued a formal apology to Prime Minister Keir Starmer following an independent investigation that found she breached the governance code for public appointments. The inquiry revealed Nandy failed to declare that her nominee for head of the new football regulator had previously donated to her political campaign and to the Labour Party.
Shawcross Report Findings
William Shawcross, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, detailed in his 18-page report that Nandy violated the code in three significant ways. She did not declare that David Kogan had donated twice to her unsuccessful 2020 campaign to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader. Additionally, she failed to discuss these donations during his interview for the role and omitted declaring Kogan's larger contributions to Labour, including donations to Starmer's own leadership campaign.
Nandy stated she was unaware of Kogan's donations to her campaign at the time of the nomination. However, Shawcross's report maintained that given Kogan's known connections to Labour, Nandy "ought to have considered and ascertained whether he had made donations to her".
Government Response and Fallout
In her apology letter to the Prime Minister, Nandy expressed deep regret for the error, acknowledging it was not deliberate but understanding the perception it created. She mentioned having taken "robust steps" to check her donation register beforehand. Starmer accepted her apology, noting he believed the error was inadvertent and that she had acted in good faith. He did, however, confirm that the appointment process was "not entirely up to the standard expected" and urged her department to learn from the experience.
This incident marks the second embarrassment for Starmer's government in quick succession, following Chancellor Rachel Reeves's recent apology for failing to obtain a necessary licence before renting out her family home. Despite the controversy, David Kogan's appointment as head of the independent football regulator, a role stemming from the collapsed European Super League plans, remains confirmed. Nandy had stepped aside from the final decision on his appointment once the conflict of interest emerged.
The report recommends that ministers be reminded of their duties to declare any interests with candidates and suggests collaboration between the Cabinet Office and the commissioner to prevent future occurrences.
