November 13 – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has admitted he made a “mistake” in signing off the appointment of David Kogan as the first chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), despite Kogan having previously donated to both Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
The admission comes just as the IFR – created to oversee the financial health and governance of English football – prepares to begin operations. The regulator was introduced after years of crises, including the collapse of Bury FC and the European Super League fallout, with powers to license clubs, enforce financial controls and block unsanctioned breakaway competitions.
In a letter to his standards adviser Laurie Magnus, Starmer said he “expressed sincere regret” for endorsing Kogan’s appointment, despite having agreed to recuse himself from football-related decisions due to personal connections and past hospitality from clubs.
“In retrospect, it would have been better if I had not been given the note or confirmed that I was content with the appointment,” Starmer wrote. “This was an unfortunate error for which I express my sincere regret.”
Magnus described the situation as “regrettable” but said Starmer’s transparency showed “a commitment to improving standards in public life.”
Nandy also apologised after the Commissioner for Public Appointments found she failed to disclose that Kogan had donated to her 2020 Labour leadership campaign before nominating him.
Kogan, a veteran media executive known for negotiating television rights for the Premier League and EFL, was confirmed as the IFR’s inaugural chair last month. His experience in football’s commercial landscape was seen as an asset for the regulator’s credibility – but the controversy has cast early doubt over a reform meant to restore transparency and accountability in the game.
The IFR is expected to begin work in 2026, with Kogan’s appointment now under heightened scrutiny.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]