There are mounting questions for Starmer over the appointment of David Kogan as the chairman of the football regulator. Nandy was reprimanded by the PM last week for failing to recuse herself early before recommending the Labour donor for the position. Kogan also donated to Starmer’s leadership campaign and his local Labour party…
As Guido pointed out earlier, it was briefed that Starmer was personally involved in the appointment process. A government source suggested that Starmer should be recused from decisions concerning regulation of football thanks to his numerous high-value football freebies, including regular visits to Arsenal games. Any recusal would be normally suggested by civil servants interested in propriety…
At the Lobby briefing Downing Street insisted the appointment was “for DCMS.” A source tells Guido: “His office mistakenly put the appointment of Kogan to him and he approved it… There was formal advice from the Propriety and Ethics Team put to the PM on all this.”
This is confirmed by a recent report by the Commissioner for Public Appointments into the decision:
“the Secretary of State’s private office sent confirmation of the Secretary of State’s decision to make Mr Kogan the government’s preferred candidate. This confirmation was then sent to No. 10 for final approval.
On 23 April 2025, No. 10 cleared Mr Kogan’s appointment as the government’s preferred candidate. Mr Kogan and the unsuccessful interviewees were called on the same day to confirm this decision.”
How is it proper for Starmer to have personally given the green light to a donor after the Prime Minister’s years of flagrant football freebie-taking – particularly from teams that will now be ruled over by the new regulator? If Nandy was meant to be recused thanks to the 2020 donation, that obviously applies to Starmer as well…
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