Contributions
798 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorIt is difficult to know where to start, given the number of inaccuracies in that statement, but I will have a go. First of all, I did not “forget” to declare the donations; if the…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorOversight of the whole process and the way that public appointments are made is the responsibility of the Prime Minister, but I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s suggestions and…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI think I have answered that question. I have been absolutely crystal clear: it is my Department that appoints the chair of the Independent Football Regulator. I was responsible…12 Nov 2025HANSARD Points of OrderFurther to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am very happy to clarify that point for the hon. Gentleman. The request that I made to officials in my Department was…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI am happy to clarify that this was not a prime ministerial appointment; it was an appointment made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. As the hon. Gentleman knows, as…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI thank my hon. Friend for that, and for being such a fantastic champion for his constituents; it was a pleasure to meet some of them when I came to his constituency not that long…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI thank my hon. Friend for what he has said, and I am pleased that he has joined the Select Committee. He has extensive knowledge of football and has been a consistent champion of…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorThe Prime Minister has made it clear, and the Cabinet strongly believes, that although mistakes will always be made, we have to comply fully and openly with independent processes…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorWell, I can confirm that Mr Kogan was on the list that was held by the Department; there are obviously records of that. I was also presented with that list when I took up this…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI know that my hon. Friend is a fantastic champion for her constituents, and that this is something they care about. Both the Minister for Sport and I have heard the strength of…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI thank the right hon. Gentleman for the tone that he has taken, but I must say to him that if he does not think that David Kogan was fit to be considered because he was a Labour…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI will try to answer the hon. Gentleman’s questions in turn. First, this process was subject to a thorough investigation by the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments,…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorIn 2021, the former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, set up the fan-led review of football, and selected Dame Tracey Crouch to chair it. This led to a clear recommendation for an…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorAs always, my hon. Friend has taken this debate back to focusing on the people who matter most: the fans. They have been through hell over recent years as the last Government…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI agree with the hon. Lady that it is essential for the public to be able to have confidence in the public appointments that we make, not least because of the many debacles that…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI thank my hon. Friend for the years of work that he put into ensuring that we reached this point. I thank him personally as well, because when my club, Wigan Athletic, was in…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorAll the way through this process, I have complied fully with the independent commissioner, because I believe that that is important. That stands in contrast to the last…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorI thank my hon. Friend for that, and for all the work she has done to support football fans for many years, even before being elected to this place. I completely accept that…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorThe right hon. Gentleman is, of course, entirely right to say that we need the tightest possible processes. That is why the Prime Minister took steps, when he was first elected as…12 Nov 2025HANSARDIndependent Football RegulatorAs I have made clear, David Kogan was approached under the last Government and is eminently qualified for the job. Of course, as soon as I knew about the donations, I chose to…12 Nov 2025