Independent Football Regulator

Lord Polak Excerpts

Tuesday 18th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I would love to say that there will never be another debacle like the one we have seen at Sheffield Wednesday. It has clearly been a very difficult time for the club, its players and fans, and, no doubt, the noble Lord. We have established the Independent Football Regulator, following the incredible work by the former Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch, on her fan-led review, to make sure that we introduce much stronger financial regulation, which will improve the financial resilience of clubs across the country and across the football pyramid. We are really keen that fans will be at the heart of football, where they rightly belong.

[Lord Polak (Con)]

My Lords, I take issue with the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. There is nothing synthetic about the fact that the Prime Minister has had to apologise for something he said he did not do. That is the issue. The least that should happen is that “independent” should be taken away from the name of the Independent Football Regulator, because there is nothing independent about it.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I have huge respect for the noble Lord and quite regularly agree with points that he makes in this House; I simply cannot agree with this point.