Independent Football Regulator

Lord Razzall Excerpts

Wednesday 28th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

I cannot agree with that. State of the Game underlines the need for reform, the parlous state of the financial sustainability, the governance failings and the systemic resilience of the game, and it underlines the need for action. The Independent Football Regulator has a tightly defined scope. It has three objectives and it needs the resources to operate as it does, but it will do so in the most efficient and expedient way.

[Lord Razzall (LD)]

My Lords, in the light of the Minister’s answer on the earlier question, will she confirm that this means that the Government and the Prime Minister will not attempt to intervene in the Manchester City story that the noble Lord, Lord Londesborough, mentioned, thereby avoiding the resignation of the regulator?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The case involving Manchester City is an independent process concerning a breach of the Premier League’s rules. It is not for the Government to intervene, particularly as we know that an independent commission is currently considering the appeal lodged by Manchester City Football Club.

Broadcasting: Recent Developments

Lord Razzall Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Razzall (LD)]

Noble Lords will note that I am not my noble friend Lady Bonham-Carter. It is customary on these occasions to thank the proposer of the Motion. I would very much like to do so for the noble Lord, Lord Fowler. I go further and say that, over the years, he has been a much more vigorous defender of the BBC and other public service broadcasters than many of his colleagues in his former party.

The irony in this debate is that politicians are normally not to be trusted, because we are all obsessed with news and current affairs, unlike the public. Over 20 years ago, 20 million people used to watch BBC News; now it is lucky to get 4 million. However, we need to remember that 12 million people watched “The Celebrity Traitors”, millions are regular followers of “EastEnders” and “Coronation Street”, and more people listen to “The Archers” than watch BBC News. We must never forget that, despite our regional and national differences, UK broadcasters provide much of the glue that binds us all together in our common watching and listening practices. The public service broadcasters are entitled to much of the credit for this.

However, 2026 brings a number of problems, particularly for the public service broadcasters. Will the reduction in TV advertising threaten the viability of Channel 3, Channel 4 and Channel 5? Will Sky be allowed to buy ITV, and what would be the protections for impartiality in that event? As a side issue, will Netflix or Paramount be allowed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery? As a personal interest, will more sport be shown free to air? Will the digital-terrestrial transition to internet protocol delivery be implemented without damaging the ability of people without internet service to watch TV? Will the decline in watching and listening by the under-30s be arrested?

As previous speakers have said, there is then the issue of the BBC. Its immediate problem is to find a new director-general, especially as all the suggested candidates in the press would appear to have to take significant pay cuts to accept the job, even if they wanted it. We must move towards a new charter and funding arrangements in 2026, to be implemented in 2027. The Government have recently published a Green Paper and I have no doubt that many noble Lords will suggest solutions in this debate, but it must be remembered that, on Christmas Day, nine out of the top 10 programmes were BBC programmes. A major issue in this debate which has seemed to be ignored so far is what to do about non-payment, which is now a significant problem for BBC budgets and is rising to an unsustainable level.

Whatever mistakes it makes, these Benches are supporters of the BBC. We share Lisa Nandy’s view of the BBC as a “light on the hill” and we have every hope that it will be safe in her hands as a result.