Opposition wants to bury the regulator bill- Nandi

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has criticized some opposition members of the House of Lords, who she says are “bent on ruining” the football governance bill by delaying it “for years to come”.

The legislation, which would establish the first independent regulator for the professional men’s game in England, was re-introduced to Parliament by the government in October.

It has just completed the first ‘committee stage’ in the Lords, where hundreds of potential amendments have been tabled.

What may soon be voted on is a proposal to reclassify the legislation as a ‘hybrid bill’, which would require additional consultation with clubs.

“We really are at a turning point here,” Nandy said, speaking at an event organized by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football and the English Football League (EFL).

“We have put a ‘disastrous amendment’ before the House of Lords in recent weeks to turn this bill into a hybrid bill, which will bury it in committee for years to come.

“And I want to say to the handful of colleagues who have decided to take this approach, ‘What you are doing is destroying the hopes, dreams and legacies of fans who deserve far better.’

A hybrid bill is one that is considered to target specific private interests – such as football clubs. This should allow those affected to submit a petition to Parliament outlining their opposition, potentially giving it the time needed to be passed into law.

Conservative peers have denied claims they are trying to delay the bill, and have insisted they are subjecting it to proper scrutiny.