Minister Defends Nandy After Appointment Breach
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been defended by a cabinet colleague after she apologised for breaching the governance code on public appointments. The controversy centres on her selection of David Kogan as chair of the new independent football regulator.
The independent investigation found that Ms Nandy failed to declare she had received £2,900 in donations from Mr Kogan during her 2020 Labour leadership campaign. This led to accusations of 'cronyism' from the Conservative Party.
Investigation Findings and Apology
Sir William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments, ruled that the government's appointment process made three clear breaches of the code. These included Ms Nandy's failure to disclose the donations, the lack of discussion about the potential conflict of interest during Mr Kogan's interview, and the non-disclosure of his links to the Labour Party.
In a letter to the prime minister, Ms Nandy stated: "I deeply regret this error. I appreciate the perception it could create, but it was not deliberate and I apologise for it." She emphasised that she was unaware of the donations at the time of the appointment and took immediate action to declare them upon discovery.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed publicly supported Ms Nandy, telling Sky News that she had apologised and that the independent investigator had confirmed she acted appropriately once she learned of the donations.
Political Fallout and Calls for Withdrawal
The Conservative Party has labelled the appointment "completely untenable" and demanded it be withdrawn immediately. Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston stated the situation "bears all the hallmarks of Labour cronyism."
Despite the controversy, Mr Kogan's suitability for the role was never questioned by the commissioner. In his own statement, Mr Kogan said he had cooperated fully with the investigation and was now focused on setting up the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to address urgent issues in football.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged that Ms Nandy had acted in good faith but conceded that the process followed was not entirely up to the standard expected. The appointment, originally conceived by the Conservatives, was made in October following the European Super League project controversy.
