David Kogan endorsed to chair football regulator but urged to act ‘impartially’

David Kogan has been endorsed to chair football’s independent regulator by a select committee of MPs but has been urged to take “concrete steps” to demonstrate he will act impartially.

Kogan told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee on Wednesday that he donated to the Labour leadership campaigns of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in 2020, and has also made financial contributions to other members of the party.

He insisted despite those connections to Labour he was not “susceptible to political pressure”.

A release published on Friday morning alongside the committee’s report on Kogan stated: “The committee recognises Mr Kogan’s vast experience in the football and media sectors.

“It however recommends that he takes concrete steps to reassure the football community that he will act impartially and in a politically neutral way, following his disclosure during the meeting of past donations to the Prime Minister and Culture Secretary.”

Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage said: “While Mr Kogan’s background and experience make him well suited for the role, his past donations to the Labour Party will inevitably leave him open to charges of political bias in a job where independence is paramount.

“We want to see the new independent football regulator succeed, so it’s crucial that nothing undermines the regulator as it gets up and running.

“Mr Kogan must give 110 per cent when it comes to reassuring everyone in the game that he is his own man. The committee looks forward to working with him constructively and holding him to account.”

Kogan was announced as the Government’s preferred candidate last month. He has negotiated television rights deals on behalf of the Premier League, the EFL, the Women’s Super League and UEFA in a 45-year career as a media executive, business leader and corporate advisor.

The creation of the regulator is at the heart of the Football Governance Bill which is now at committee stage in the House of Commons.

Its remit will primarily be to ensure the 116 clubs in the top five tiers of English football are financially sustainable and accountable to their fans under a licensing system.

The regulator will also have ‘backstop’ powers to impose a financial settlement between the Premier League and the EFL if they cannot agree one themselves. It will also produce a ‘State of the Game’ report analysing football’s financial flows.

Kogan pledged in a letter to the committee that he would not make any further donations “to any political cause” if appointed as chair. He also confirmed that the 2020 donations to Starmer and Nandy were each under the £1500 declaration threshold.

A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: “We have received the select committee’s report following the pre-appointment scrutiny hearing.

“We will now consider its findings before outlining next steps on the chair in due course.”