English football regulator could be announced in King's Speech

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hints bill on football finances will be brought back before Parliament this week

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second left, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, third left, watched England's Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in Berlin on Sunday. PA

A new regulator for English men's football could be announced in the King's Speech this week, as Labour takes up plans to curb the game's corporate excesses.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hinted on Monday that a Conservative-backed football governance bill, which fell by the wayside due to the UK general election, will be brought back before MPs.

The reforms, aimed at closing the gap between the global glitz of the Premier League and the financial struggles of lower league clubs, were caused by six English sides' attempt to join a breakaway European Super League in 2021.

King Charles III will read out Labour's legislative programme on Wednesday as part of the ceremonial opening of Parliament.

Ministers are planning 35 new laws in Labour's first year in power, with a focus on economic growth and house-building.

Labour's manifesto pledged an “an independent regulator to ensure financial sustainability of football clubs” and Ms Nandy says the policy is an early focus for her department.

“It will be a top priority for me, so I think you can read into that that there’ll be early action from this government,” she said when asked whether it would feature in the King's Speech.

The bill proposed by the previous Conservative government would have brought in a licensing system for clubs in England's top five tiers.

To get a licence, they would have to meet financial reporting rules and be required to consult fans on decisions related to “club heritage”.

Premier League clubs would have to distribute some of their profits to lower-tier sides, with the government stepping in if they cannot strike a deal.

There would be rules preventing English clubs from joining a closed-shop Super League, after the breakaway attempt with teams from Italy and Spain failed three years ago.

Six English clubs pulled out of the short-lived Super League amid massive fan protests, causing a government review that led to the bill.

The Conservative bill would also have required owners to seek approval if they plan to sell or relocate their club's home ground.

Labour supported the bill at its second reading in the House of Commons, but the dissolution of Parliament in May stopped it in its tracks.

The bill would not regulate English women's football, which is enjoying a boom in attendances but where the financial sums involved are lower.

The proposals were welcomed by lower-tier Football League clubs after a spate of bankruptcies that have seen clubs deducted points and relegated.

Lobbyists for the Premier League, meanwhile, have warned ministers to “guard against unintended consequences that would damage this iconic UK asset”.

After attending England's Euro 2024 final in Berlin, Ms Nandy said it was not Labour's intention to “come in and be heavy-handed”.

But “it's personal for me because my own club Wigan Athletic came close to collapse not once but twice and we had to fight very hard to save it”, she said.

“Yesterday was a perfect example of this – the Premier League is one of our greatest exports. They give us these incredible sporting moments and this top-flight football.

“But look at many of the players who were on that pitch last night – they come from places like Bury, from Stockport, from Washington, from parts of the country where football is threatened.

“The football clubs that stand at the heart of their communities have been threatened over and over again by a system that doesn’t protect against bad ownership, that doesn’t ensure proper financial sustainability, and that doesn’t incentivise clubs like Premier League clubs and the lower tier clubs to come to an agreement about how finances are shared within the game.”

Downing Street also announced plans to support grass roots football after England's run to the Euro 2024 final, with the UK and Ireland hosting the next men's European Championship in 2028.

Labour hopes to legislate to cut costs for school PE uniforms, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to “recognise the work” of coaches, referees, groundskeepers and volunteers, his office said.

King's Speech plans

Wednesday’s King’s Speech is expected to contain 35 bills marking the new government’s priorities for the next year.

The package will include laws to create a national wealth fund, relax rules on house-building and hand more powers to local politicians.

Mr Starmer is also promising “unbreakable fiscal rules”, to avoid a repeat of the unfunded Liz Truss tax cuts of 2022 that sent financial markets into a tailspin.

Plans to boost house building and infrastructure, improve transport and create more jobs will be covered, No 10 said.

It is not clear whether one of Labour’s flagship policies, the promise to add VAT to private school fees, will be included. It could alternatively come in the Budget this autumn.

Other measures could include:

Border security bill This is intended to address the UK’s immigration system crisis, and could give authorities powers to treat people smugglers in the same way as terrorists.

Energy independence bill Labour previously announced plans to create a new publicly-owned energy company called GB Energy, which will be headquartered in Scotland. More detail on that is expected.

Martyn’s Law Plans to require venues to make preparations for the possibility of a terror attack are expected to be included. It is named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack alongside 21 others.

Other bills are expected to ban dangerous knives and allow police to seize them, abolish no-fault evictions and prevent anyone born after 2009 from taking up smoking. Sweeping reforms in the House of Lords are also expected, as are plans to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote. Workers’ rights could also be strengthened, with a ban on zero-hours contracts, unless people agree.