Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has issued an apology for breaching the public appointments code by failing to disclose a donation from a candidate vying to lead the football regulator. The oversight involved David Kogan, who contributed to Nandy’s leadership campaign.
Nandy acknowledged her inadvertent violation of the governance code in appointing David Kogan as the head of the Independent Football Regulator. She expressed regret for not declaring Kogan’s donation to her 2020 leadership bid in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged Nandy’s good intentions but criticized the procedural shortcomings in the appointment process. David Kogan, a media rights expert, was selected as the government’s preferred choice to chair the Independent Football Regulator in April.
Following complaints and calls for investigation, a probe was launched in the summer due to Kogan’s political donations to Labour figures, including Nandy and Starmer. Commissioner Sir William Shawcross found three violations of the Governance Code, including Nandy’s failure to disclose Kogan’s donations and the potential conflict of interest.
Nandy welcomed the commissioner’s acknowledgment that she was unaware of certain donations and promptly recused herself upon discovering them. Despite conducting thorough checks, she was unaware of the specific donations in question.
In response to Nandy’s explanation, the PM accepted that the breach was unintentional and praised her integrity. While recognizing the need for improved processes, he affirmed that the report did not question Kogan’s suitability for the chairmanship of the Independent Football Regulator.