Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly admitted to making an error in approving the appointment of a former Labour donor to the prestigious role of head of Britain's new football regulator.
The Appointment Controversy
In a letter to his independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, Starmer expressed what he termed 'sincere regret' for rubber-stamping the decision to make David Kogan the inaugural chair of the Independent Football Regulator.
The controversy stems from two key factors: Starmer's own declared interest in football, and the fact that Kogan had previously donated to the Prime Minister's successful campaign for Labour leadership back in 2020.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who originally nominated Kogan for the position, has also apologised to Starmer after she failed to disclose that Kogan had donated to her own Labour leadership campaign and to the party.
Recusal Agreement Broken
According to the correspondence published by Downing Street on Wednesday, Starmer had previously agreed with Magnus to recuse himself from decisions relating to the new football regulator.
This agreement was made due to Starmer's personal interest in football and the hospitality he has received from football clubs and the Football Association.
However, in April 2025, a note was submitted to the Prime Minister informing him that after running the appointment process, the culture secretary wanted to appoint David Kogan subject to pre-appointment scrutiny by the select committee.
Starmer's letter explained: 'The note asked me whether I was content. I confirmed that I was supportive. I knew that the decision was for the secretary of state to take and I replied on the basis that the decision had been taken.'
Political Fallout and Investigation
In his response, Laurie Magnus described the situation as 'regrettable' but welcomed Starmer's commitment to a review into why the Prime Minister was asked to approve the appointment despite the recusal agreement.
Magnus stated: 'I consider that the disclosures made in your letter are an important demonstration of your commitment to transparency and to ensuring that mistakes are acknowledged and necessary steps taken to improve processes underpinning standards in public life.'
The appointment process came under formal scrutiny after a report by William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, found that Nandy had failed to declare Kogan's political donations before nominating him for the role.
Following the emergence of the conflict of interest, Nandy stood aside from any further involvement in deciding whether Kogan would be given the position.
David Kogan, a media executive with extensive experience negotiating TV rights deals for both the Premier League and the English Football League, was confirmed last month as head of the Independent Football Regulator.
The watchdog was originally proposed by the Conservative government after the collapse of the European Super League plans and was formally established under the current Labour administration.
