Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly expressed "sincere regret" for his role in approving the appointment of a former Labour donor to a prominent new football watchdog position, admitting it was a mistake.
The Appointment and the Conflict
The controversy centres on the selection of David Kogan, a media executive with extensive experience in football broadcasting deals, as the inaugural chair of the Independent Football Regulator. While the formal decision rested with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, a note was sent to Starmer in April 2025 asking if he was content with the appointment, to which he replied that he was supportive.
This approval process occurred despite Starmer having previously agreed to recuse himself from all matters related to the new regulator due to his personal interest in football and the hospitality he has received from football clubs and the Football Association.
Compounding the issue were the political donations linking both the Prime Minister and the Culture Secretary to Kogan. Kogan had donated to Starmer's successful campaign for the Labour leadership in 2020 and had also given money to Nandy's leadership campaign and to the party.
Apologies and Official Reviews
In a letter to his independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, Starmer acknowledged the error. He stated that in retrospect, it would have been better if he had not been given the note or confirmed his contentment with Kogan's appointment, calling it an "unfortunate error".
Laurie Magnus described the situation as "regrettable" but welcomed the Prime Minister's transparency and a promised review into how the procedural breach occurred. Separately, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also apologised to the Prime Minister after a report by William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, found she had failed to declare Kogan's donations before nominating him for the role.
Following the emergence of the conflict of interest, Nandy stood aside from the final part of the appointment process. Despite the controversy, David Kogan was confirmed last month as the head of the Independent Football Regulator, a body established by the Labour government after being proposed by the Conservatives in the wake of the collapsed European Super League plans.
