Nandy broke rules over appointment to football role, inquiry finds

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has apologised to Keir Starmer after an inquiry found she failed to say that her choice to lead a new football regulator had donated to both her and Labour before she nominated him for the role.

- Peter Walker

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, who apologised to the PM after failing to disclose she had received donations from the person she chose to lead the new regulator

(PHOTOGRAPH: WIKTOR SZYMANOWICZ/ZUMA/ SHUTTERSTOCK)

Nandy said she regretted the errors highlighted in a report by William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments. Her apology comes a week after Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, made her own written apology to the prime minister for failing to obtain a licence before renting out her family home.

In a letter to Nandy, Starmer said he accepted the apology, but noted that the process to appoint the media executive David Kogan "was not entirely up to the standard expected" and that her department could learn lessons from it.

The reprimand does not affect the role of Kogan, whose long career in sport and media has included negotiating TV rights deals for the Premier League and Football League.