David Kogan: Football regulator nominee donated to Starmer and Nandy
The man nominated to chair the football regulator, David Kogan, has revealed he made donations to both Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy but insists he will have “absolute independence of political control” if given the job.
Kogan, a Labour historian, said he donated “very small sums” to the leadership campaigns of Starmer and Nandy in 2020. Now Prime Minister and Culture Secretary respectively, they have influence over his potential appointment although the football regulator will be independent.
“I’m glad to put on the public record my personal independence of individual groups in football and my absolute independence of political control,” Kogan told MPs at a Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing into his nomination.
“I have been a donor to the Labour party; I have been utterly transparent about it. I am prepared to declare now that five years ago I contributed very small sums to the leadership campaigns of both Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy.
“But I did those donations to individual parliamentary candidates, none of whom were MPs, in the belief that having a leadership battle in the Labour party between two seasoned candidates was a good thing. And I have never been particularly close to any of the individuals to whom I’ve donated money, so I have total personal independence from all of them.
“I also think the regulator itself guarantees independence. The secretary of state determines the remit of the regulator and there is no wiggle room for any politician who wishes to put me under political pressure.”
David Kogan quizzed over ‘Labour puppet’ claim
The chair of the CMS Committee, Caroline Dinenage MP, asked media rights specialist Kogan, who has advised the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League, how he would banish the notion that he was “in the pocket of the Prime Minister, in cahoots with the secretary of state, a puppet of the Labour government?”.
He replied: “I have never had a one-on-one meeting with Keir Starmer. I have never met him since he has become Prime Minister; literally not been in a room with him.
“I recognise there is a perception of bias and the way you correct a perception is by action, by delivery, by being transparent and being held to account – all of those things I absolutely pledge to you I will be.”
Kogan admitted he did not apply to chair the regulator when the post was advertised under the previous Conservative government last year because of his Labour links but was persuaded to by then Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer. He later withdrew as the process stalled amid a general election but was coaxed back to the table by Nandy in March.