Contributions
1,239 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFootball GovernanceMy hon. Friend makes valid points. That is at the heart of what we are doing. The role of the regulator is to be there not in and of itself but for a purpose, which is to make…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He is right that engagement could mean different things to different people. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as we set a…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI am definitely usually a “glass half full” rather than “glass half empty” person, which I think is a good way to go through life. I do not think I can be accused of being naively…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceYes, I assure the hon. Gentleman about that. More than 20,000 people responded to the review, and 120 clubs were also consulted. I travel up and down the country to consult clubs…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceMy right hon. Friend is making some important points. Of course we do not forget the importance of the grassroots and the non-league games, and the Government are investing in the…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceThe hon. Member is raising a variety of points. Some of those are likely to be the responsibility of the regulator, but many, such as player welfare, will continue to be the…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI fear we may be playing club bingo in the Chamber today, Madam Deputy Speaker. I assure the hon. Gentleman that the intention is to move forward as soon and as fast as possible,…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI congratulate Forest Green Rovers, too. My hon. Friend makes the important point that we are all here because fans were at the heart of the review. I will continue to engage with…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI join the hon. Lady in congratulating the Warrington teams—there is obviously something in the water up there. I repeat that the Secretary of State and I have already had…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI can confirm each of those points, particularly the last one. A licensing regime is exactly that: a person must abide by the conditions in order to get a licence. My hon.…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI am afraid the hon. Lady is misinterpreting what I have outlined today. We are pursuing a process, and we have not announced delays; we have announced a route forward. A White…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceMy hon. Friend is right that football clubs play a pivotal role in our communities, and not only in terms of the sport—we saw during the pandemic the role that they played. I…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceMy right hon. Friend makes some pertinent and wise points, including his first point. He is absolutely right that football is a British success story, and the premier league in…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceAs I outlined, and as the review recommends, we should let football try to find a solution wherever possible. If it cannot find a solution, there will be a backstop. That is what…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI thank my right hon. Friend for those comments; I know that she has deep expertise and interest in this area. She is absolutely right, and we will be looking at models as we…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI thank the hon. Gentleman for his passion for all things football, but I would not want to underestimate the complexity of what we are trying to do here. The need for a White…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI thank my hon. Friend for all her work, not just her work on the recent review but the passion for football that she has shown ever since she came into Parliament—and, indeed,…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceI thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. May I put on record my thanks and gratitude for the genuinely positive and constructive tone that we have had from him, from the…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceThe very fact that we are making the announcements we are making today, which are fundamental to and transformative for English football, shows that vested interests have not had…25 Apr 2022HANSARDFootball GovernanceFirst, I accept your comments, Mr Speaker—I certainly mean no discourtesy to this House—and I will have discussions about them with colleagues. With permission, I would like to…25 Apr 2022