Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah has hit out at the government for its response to a petition she presented to parliament.
The petition was signed by more than 21,000 calling for greater transparency from the Premier League following the collapse of the Newcastle United takeover.
It was handed over back in September with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport taking two months to respond - and Onwurah has criticised the contents of the observation from Oliver Dowden, who is the secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
His response to the petition read: "Football clubs form an integral part of local communities up and down the country. Throughout the pandemic, football clubs have been playing their part and providing vital support to their local area.
"It is crucial that fans’ views and perspectives are listened to. The Government’s Expert Working Group on football supporter ownership and engagement in 2016 set out a number of recommendations to encourage greater engagement between supporters and those that run their club, while also helping to remove barriers to supporter ownership. The Premier League and English Football League now require clubs to meet with supporters at least twice a year to discuss strategic issues, giving fans the opportunity to shape the direction of the club.
"The Premier League is responsible for the Owners’ and Directors’ Test which was used to assess the proposed takeover of Newcastle United. The Government have no role in this. The sale of the club has always been a matter for the parties concerned, and for the Premier League to assess under its Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
"The Government will undertake a fan-led review of football governance, which will include consideration of the Owners’ and Directors’ test. Fans should be at the heart of future plans to reshape football governance. We will announce the scope and structure of the review in due course."
However, Onwurah has labelled the response as 'wholly inadequate' and questioned why it took the department so long to get back to her, only to do so with a 'series of cliches.'
"This is a wholly inadequate response to all the football fans who signed and supported the petition," Onwurah wrote on her website.
"It states that 'football clubs form an integral part of local communities' and yet the Government refuses to take action to improve Premier League transparency and accountability”.
“I cannot understand how it took the Secretary of State two months to write this series of clichés, referring to recommendations from 2016 and the repeated promise of another review 'in due course'.”
“Fans need to have a real involvement in their clubs and the Fan-led Review of Football promised in their manifesto needs to happen now. Otherwise, the Premier League will continue to ride roughshod over the interests of fans and communities across the country.”
Onwurah has, over recent months, fought for answers from the Premier League after the attempted takeover led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund fell through in the summer.
The Newcastle Central MP asked questions of the Department for International Trade last week after it refused to release contents of correspondence relating to the failed buy-out of United to Chronicle Live.
Onwuah added that the DCMS response was 'deeply disappointing' and she 'fears the Premier League’s takeover process will continue to lack transparency, accountability and consistency and fans will remain feeling they have no voice.'
