Football Governance Bill [HL]
Debate between Lord Shamash and Lord BachWednesday 18th December 2024
(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Football Governance Bill [HL] 2024-26 View all Football Governance Bill [HL] 2024-26 Debates Read Hansard Text Amendment Paper: HL Bill 41-VI(a) Amendments for Committee (Supplementary to the Sixth Marshalled List) - (17 Dec 2024)
Lord Bach (Lab)
My Lords, this is the first time I have spoken in Committee. I am rather late to it but I spoke at Second Reading. On this matter of history, it is not usual that I come out in support of a previous Conservative Prime Minister, but the truth is that once the fans showed their feelings—I agree that they did—the then Prime Minister, within a short number of hours or certainly days, quickly came up and took over the issue, as it were, on behalf of his Government. That was well done and, along with the fans’ disagreement, it had a profound effect on the clubs, some more reluctantly than others, which withdrew from that mad scheme.
Lord Shamash (Lab)
My Lords, I specifically remember this as it involved Manchester United. It is propitious that the noble Lord, Lord Johnson, has arrived as it was his brother, the then Prime Minister, who said “I would drop a legislative bomb on this proposal”. Do your Lordships remember the language? That is precisely what happened and it killed it dead.