The man set to lead the new football regulator faces an inquiry into his appointment following accusations of “cronyism” from the Conservatives.
David Kogan, a media rights expert, was named as the Government’s preferred candidate to chair the Independent Football Regulator in April, and his appointment was endorsed by a cross-party committee of MPs last month.
But the revelation that he had donated money to both Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – as well as other Labour figures – drew complaints from the Conservatives and calls for the commissioner for public appointments to investigate.
In a letter to the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioner Sir William Shawcross said he had carried out a series of “spot checks” and now believed a full inquiry into Kogan’s appointment was “necessary”.
Shawcross’ inquiry will look into whether the rules on public appointments were followed, and is likely to involve interviews with both Kogan and Nandy.
Kogan was originally approached about the football regulator job by the Conservatives while they were still in office, and has advised the Premier League, EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights.
He has also donated thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, and sat on the board of Labour news website LabourList.
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During his pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee – which later backed his appointment – he revealed he had also donated “very small sums” to Starmer and Nandy’s leadership campaigns in 2020.
Those donations had not previously been revealed as they were below the threshold for public declaration.
A week later, Nandy wrote to the committee to inform MPs that she had stepped back from making the final decision on whether to appoint Kogan, delegating the choice to sport minister Stephanie Peacock.
Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow culture secretary, said Kogan’s appointment “bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism”, adding Nandy’s decision to step back “highlights just how compromised this selection has become”.
He said: “Number 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate.
“The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.”
Kogan did not comment on the launch of the inquiry.
