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Four local MPs vote through Football Governance Bill at second reading

Tuesday, 29 April 2025 12:36

By Adam Clark

(L-R) James Frith, Christian Wakeford, Paul Waugh & Elsie Blundell. (Credit: UK Parliament)

The four MPs representing Bury & Rochdale have voted in-favour of the Football Governance Bill at it's second reading yesterday.

This bill has now been sent to a Public Bill Committee, which will scrutinise it line by line and is expected to report to the House of Commons by the end of June.

First coming through the House of Lords last year, the bill proposes the creation of an Independent Football Regulator. It also outlines plans to license football clubs and manage how competition revenues are distributed. 

342 MPs, including James Frith, Christian Wakeford, Elsie Blundell and Paul Waugh voted in favour, with 70 MPs voting against. 

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Bury North MP James Frith said: "I congratulate the Secretary of State on bringing the Bill to the House. I hope the House will join me in congratulating Bury FC, the Mighty Shakers, for their historic first promotion since the club’s no-fan-fault eviction from the football league.

"We love a comeback in Bury, and know all too well of the devastating impact when football clubs forgo good ownership and standards. The Government are right to deliver on their promise of an independent football regulator; that promise was a consequence, in no small part, of the trauma we experienced."

Frith, alongside his Bury South colleague Christian Wakeford and Bury Council leader Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, has written to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to ask that Bury be considered as the home for the new independent football regulator.

The letter on April 17th read: "We believe Bury is the perfect location for the new football regulator. As with so many of our great English towns, Football is woven into the fabric of Bury. Across the borough, we represent four non-league clubs Bury FC, Radcliffe FC, Ramsbottom United and Prestwich Heys.

"In Bury we’ve the resolve and determination you should expect from this new regulator in its quest to protect the beautiful game now and in the future.

"It would be a source of great pride to see the Independent Football Regulator based here in Bury and we would love to invite you to our town to discuss this exciting proposition for yourself."

Following the committee stage, the bill will then head to the report stage and third reading before reaching the final stages of royal assent.

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