In a letter to his ethics adviser on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer expressed «sincere regret» over signing off the appointment of a Labour donor as the first chair of England’s new football regulator. This admission comes after an independent investigation found that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had «unknowingly» breached the public appointments code by failing to declare £2,900 in donations from the same donor, David Kogan, in 2020.
It was revealed that David Kogan had also contributed to Sir Keir’s Labour leadership campaign in 2020 and to his constituency party before the last general election. The prime minister, in a letter to his ethics advisers, Sir Laurie Magnus, admitted to making an «unfortunate error» in signing off on Kogan’s appointment, despite recusing himself from decisions related to the process due to his interest in football.
The Prime Minister explained that he had agreed to recuse himself from decisions relating to the Football Governance Bill in autumn 2024 due to his interest in football and the hospitality he had received. However, in April 2025, he was informed that the Culture Secretary wanted to appoint David Kogan as the inaugural chair of the Independent Football Regulator, and he confirmed his support for the decision.
Upon reflection, the Prime Minister acknowledged that it would have been better if he had not been involved in the decision-making process, expressing his «sincere regret» for the oversight. He has since ordered an internal review of the processes by which recusals are managed in No 10.
Sir Laurie Magnus, in his reply, described Sir Keir’s involvement as «regrettable» given his recusal and welcomed the internal review. He commended the Prime Minister for his commitment to transparency and improving processes in public life. Downing Street clarified that the appointment had been made by the Culture Secretary, not the Prime Minister.
David Kogan was ultimately confirmed as the new head of the Independent Football Regulator in October, after being named the government’s preferred candidate in April. The Tories criticized the Prime Minister for being «caught offside» in signing off on the appointment of a major donor to such a significant role.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart condemned the incident as a «serious lapse of judgment» and questioned the Prime Minister’s integrity and transparency. He characterized the situation as another scandal within the Government, suggesting a lack of control or concern from the Prime Minister amidst internal party conflicts in the Labour Party.
SOURCE