United Kingdom: Football Governance Bill passed by the House of Commons

The House of Commons, the democratically elected house of the UK Parliament, passed the Football Governance Bill with 415 votes in favour and 98 against on 08/07/2025. The bill had already received a favourable vote in the House of Lords on 19/03/2025.

The main provision of the Bill is to introduce an independent regulator for the top five men's football divisions in the UK (Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two and National League).

First introduced into Parliament on 18/03/2024 by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, suspended because of the early general election on 04/07/2024 and then reappearing after Labour's victory in that election and Sir Keir Starmer's arrival at 10 Downing Street, the legislation also aims to establish "a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities," according to the British government.

"The Regulator will tackle rogue owners and directors, implement a club licensing regime to help ensure a more consistent approach in how clubs are run, monitor club finances and…