Latest news with #DepartmentforCulture
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Football regulator chairman David Kogan faces inquiry
But the revelation that he had donated money to both Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – as well as other Labour figures – drew complaints from the Conservatives and calls for the commissioner for public appointments to investigate. In a letter to the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioner Sir William Shawcross said he had carried out a series of 'spot checks' and now believed a full inquiry into Kogan's appointment was 'necessary'. Shawcross' inquiry will look into whether the rules on public appointments were followed, and is likely to involve interviews with both Kogan and Nandy. Kogan was originally approached about the football regulator job by the Conservatives while they were still in office, and has advised the Premier League, EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights. He has also donated thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, and sat on the board of Labour news website LabourList. Read more: Melissa Andreatta on where she wants Scotland Women to improve for Netherlands Celtic fan who attacked man on way to a game banned from Glasgow on matchdays During his pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee – which later backed his appointment – he revealed he had also donated 'very small sums' to Starmer and Nandy's leadership campaigns in 2020. Those donations had not previously been revealed as they were below the threshold for public declaration. A week later, Nandy wrote to the committee to inform MPs that she had stepped back from making the final decision on whether to appoint Kogan, delegating the choice to sport minister Stephanie Peacock. Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow culture secretary, said Kogan's appointment 'bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism', adding Nandy's decision to step back 'highlights just how compromised this selection has become'. He said: 'Number 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate. 'The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.' Kogan did not comment on the launch of the inquiry.
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Inquiry launched into appointment of football regulator chairman
The man set to lead the new football regulator faces an inquiry into his appointment following accusations of 'cronyism' from the Conservatives. David Kogan, a media rights expert, was named as the Government's preferred candidate to chair the Independent Football Regulator in April, and his appointment was endorsed by a cross-party committee of MPs last month. But the revelation that he had donated money to both Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – as well as other Labour figures – drew complaints from the Conservatives and calls for the commissioner for public appointments to investigate. In a letter to the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioner Sir William Shawcross said he had carried out a series of 'spot checks' and now believed a full inquiry into Mr Kogan's appointment was 'necessary'. Sir William's inquiry will look into whether the rules on public appointments were followed, and is likely to involve interviews with both Mr Kogan and Ms Nandy. Mr Kogan was originally approached about the football regulator job by the Conservatives while they were still in office, and has advised the Premier League, EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights. He has also donated thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, and sat on the board of Labour news website LabourList. During his pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee – which later backed his appointment – he revealed he had also donated 'very small sums' to Sir Keir and Ms Nandy's leadership campaigns in 2020. Those donations had not previously been revealed as they were below the threshold for public declaration. A week later, Ms Nandy wrote to the committee to inform MPs that she had stepped back from making the final decision on whether to appoint Mr Kogan, delegating the choice to sport minister Stephanie Peacock. Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow culture secretary, said Mr Kogan's appointment 'bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism', adding Ms Nandy's decision to step back 'highlights just how compromised this selection has become'. He said: 'Number 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate. 'The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Inquiry launched into appointment of football regulator chairman
The man set to lead the new football regulator faces an inquiry into his appointment following accusations of 'cronyism' from the Conservatives. David Kogan, a media rights expert, was named as the Government's preferred candidate to chair the Independent Football Regulator in April, and his appointment was endorsed by a cross-party committee of MPs last month. But the revelation that he had donated money to both Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – as well as other Labour figures – drew complaints from the Conservatives and calls for the commissioner for public appointments to investigate. In a letter to the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioner Sir William Shawcross said he had carried out a series of 'spot checks' and now believed a full inquiry into Mr Kogan's appointment was 'necessary'. Sir William's inquiry will look into whether the rules on public appointments were followed, and is likely to involve interviews with both Mr Kogan and Ms Nandy. Mr Kogan was originally approached about the football regulator job by the Conservatives while they were still in office, and has advised the Premier League, EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights. He has also donated thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, and sat on the board of Labour news website LabourList. During his pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee – which later backed his appointment – he revealed he had also donated 'very small sums' to Sir Keir and Ms Nandy's leadership campaigns in 2020. Those donations had not previously been revealed as they were below the threshold for public declaration. A week later, Ms Nandy wrote to the committee to inform MPs that she had stepped back from making the final decision on whether to appoint Mr Kogan, delegating the choice to sport minister Stephanie Peacock. Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow culture secretary, said Mr Kogan's appointment 'bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism', adding Ms Nandy's decision to step back 'highlights just how compromised this selection has become'. He said: 'Number 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate. 'The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.' Mr Kogan did not comment on the launch of the inquiry.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Inquiry launched into appointment of football regulator chairman
But the revelation that he had donated money to both Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – as well as other Labour figures – drew complaints from the Conservatives and calls for the commissioner for public appointments to investigate. In a letter to the permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, commissioner Sir William Shawcross said he had carried out a series of 'spot checks' and now believed a full inquiry into Mr Kogan's appointment was 'necessary'. David Kogan, the Government's preferred candidate (House of Commons/UK Parliament) Sir William's inquiry will look into whether the rules on public appointments were followed, and is likely to involve interviews with both Mr Kogan and Ms Nandy. Mr Kogan was originally approached about the football regulator job by the Conservatives while they were still in office, and has advised the Premier League, EFL and other leagues on broadcast rights. He has also donated thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, and sat on the board of Labour news website LabourList. During his pre-appointment hearing with the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee – which later backed his appointment – he revealed he had also donated 'very small sums' to Sir Keir and Ms Nandy's leadership campaigns in 2020. Those donations had not previously been revealed as they were below the threshold for public declaration. A week later, Ms Nandy wrote to the committee to inform MPs that she had stepped back from making the final decision on whether to appoint Mr Kogan, delegating the choice to sport minister Stephanie Peacock. Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow culture secretary, said Mr Kogan's appointment 'bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism', adding Ms Nandy's decision to step back 'highlights just how compromised this selection has become'. He said: 'Number 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate. 'The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence.' Mr Kogan did not comment on the launch of the inquiry.
Business Mayor
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
New report says ‘government must act' to ease pressures on British theatres
A report by the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, released on Thursday, puts the spotlight on an industry struggling with rocketing production costs and in need of urgent funding. The sister trade associations have called for the government's comprehensive spending review to dramatically increase public investment, including £500m for infrastructure, and to support its Theatre for Every Child initiative which aims to ensure all pupils attend a professional theatre production before leaving school. The organisations' co-CEOs, Claire Walker and Hannah Essex, said: 'Theatres are doing more with less – and the strain is showing. Rising costs, shrinking support and ageing infrastructure are putting the sector under unsustainable pressure. We are seeing world-class organisations forced to cut programmes, delay maintenance and scale back outreach. If we want to maintain the UK's position as a global leader in theatre – and continue to inspire the next generation of actors, writers, and technicians – then government must act.' The report, drawing on information from theatres that are members of the two organisations, states that one in five venues 'require at least £5m over the next decade simply to remain operational'. Without substantial capital funding, nearly 40% 'could close or become unusable'. Roughly one in four organisations ran a deficit in 2023–24, and almost one-third project a shortfall in the subsequent financial year. Since 2010, funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has fallen by 18% per person in real terms, notes the report, while local authority support has declined by as much as 48%. 'Years of decline in creative education and underinvestment in skills training have left theatres struggling to recruit and retain staff,' it adds, with almost half of theatre leaders saying that new hires lack the necessary skills, particularly in technical roles. Read More Biden cancels $9 billion in student debt for 125,000 borrowers Against this backdrop, and the challenges of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, the two organisations' member theatres drew audiences in excess of 37 million in 2024. Its West End venues 'surpassed 17.1 million attenders [akin to 2023 levels] and generated more than £1bn in revenue'. Data from 48 regional venues shows a 4% increase in occupancy between 2019 and 2024 yet also underlined what regular theatregoers around the UK will have noticed: the number of shows being programmed has, in many cases, dropped in the last five years as theatres prune their schedules amid financial challenges. Bemoaning news headlines about premium ticket prices, the report stated that across the UK most tickets were sold for £39.50 or less (with 19% priced under £20 outside London), while in the West End most were sold at £56 or less. Since 2019, the average West End ticket price has fallen by 5.3% in real terms. Research quoted by the report shows that for every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, 'an additional £1.40 is spent in the local economy', while every pound of public investment returns more than £11 to the Treasury. The report said that the West End's 11% post-pandemic audience growth is unmatched in the UK's entertainment sector and highlighted that, last year, 'nearly one in four international visitors to London attended a West End show – a testament to its global appeal'.
