Keir Starmer WILL NOT step back from making decisions on new football regulator – despite accepting free tickets to Arsenal games _ Hieuuk
The Prime Minister will not step back from making major decisions on a new football watchdog despite fears he is being lobbied to water it down when he accepts free tickets to matches.
Yesterday Downing Street insisted he should not have to recuse himself from involvement, as the Tories demand, just because he is an avid fan.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing scrutiny of his role after accepting hospitality at games from footballing bigwigs who want to limit the powers of the new organisation.
Last season six clubs in the top tier paid for his seats at matches, with a total value of £9,500, while the Premier League gave him five tickets worth £3,000 to see his beloved Arsenal as well as four, worth £4,000, to go to a Taylor Swift concert.
Just last week Sir Keir went to see his team play rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the company of a lobbyist who backed a breakaway European Super League, which the new regulator could block, The Mail on Sunday revealed at the weekend.
The Prime Minister will not step back from making major decisions on a new football watchdog. Pictured: Starmer celebrates the second Arsenal goal (2-0) as he watches his beloved team v Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on August 17
Adding to the pressure yesterday, Labour supporter and former England star Gary Neville warned Ms Nandy the Premier League was creating ‘scare stories’ about the watchdog and would ‘bully’ it
Last night, a Tory spokesman said: ‘Ministers accepting enormous donations should not also make fundamental changes to regulations. That’s just common sense.
‘There is a clear conflict of interest in Starmer’s behaviour. His grace-and-favour hospitality box alone doesn’t pass the smell test. He should recuse himself from making any decisions on football regulation or taxation.’
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But the Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesman told reporters yesterday: ‘There is a usual process for declarations and receiving such advice.
‘But I don’t think that being a football fan should necessarily preclude people from carrying out their work. I’m sure the Prime Minister is not the only football fan in the Government.’
A Labour source added: ‘Just because someone’s been to a few matches, that shouldn’t prevent them from having a say in legislation in that area. People will have to wait to see what comes out at the end of the process.’
Some smaller clubs are concerned that Sir Keir may be about to reduce the ability of the new body to close the massive financial divide with the biggest teams.
They fear that when the Football Governance Bill is published next month, it will not include a crucial clause allowing the watchdog to redistribute hundreds of millions of pounds in so-called ‘parachute payments’ currently restricted to a handful of relegated clubs.
However, the TV pundit Neville defended Sir Keir, with whom he filmed an election campaign video, for watching Arsenal in a hospitality box
Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria Starmer at the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021
When the legislation was originally published under the Tory government, parachute payments were excluded from the ‘backstop mechanism’ that could be triggered if the leagues fail to agree a financial settlement. Labour MPs, then in opposition, drew up an amendment allowing the watchdog to include the payments but it is unclear if the new government remains committed to this.
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Charlie Methven, chief executive of Charlton Athletic, said: ‘This is a clear conflict of interest, and a pretty drastic one at that.
‘The decision as to whether to include parachute payments in the remit of the regulator is a massive multi-billion-pound decision, which neither Keir Starmer nor anybody who works in No10 Downing Street should seek to have any influence over, given the lavish financial benefits received and which continue to be received.
‘If Labour’s previous commitment to include the parachute payments has been overturned, then there would need to be an inquiry.’
Government sources insist that Sir Keir has not spoken to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy about the Bill and that no decisions have yet been taken on the extent of the regulator’s financial powers.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: ‘The Bill will establish a new independent football regulator that will put fans back at the heart of the game and tackle fundamental governance problems.’
Charlie Methven, chief executive of Charlton Athletic, said: ‘This is a clear conflict of interest, and a pretty drastic one at that’
Adding to the pressure yesterday, Labour supporter and former England star Gary Neville warned Ms Nandy the Premier League was creating ‘scare stories’ about the watchdog and would ‘bully’ it.
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However, the TV pundit defended Sir Keir, with whom he filmed an election campaign video, for watching Arsenal in a hospitality box.
Ms Nandy said stories about governing body UEFA potentially expelling England from the Euro championships as a result of the new legislation were ‘ridiculous’.
She added: ‘We are absolutely determined to get the framework right. We don’t want to be heavy-handed. It’s crucial we strike the right balance.
‘This has been a long and difficult process. We are in a place where just about everybody can live with this. Discussions have been constructive and everybody realises we need further change.’
