Prime Minister Andy Burnham's dealings with Manchester City's hierarchy during his tenure as Greater Manchester mayor have been made public, following his pledge to disclose "all of my dealings" with the club's Abu Dhabi ownership group.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority confirmed Burnham held a formal meeting with City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak at a government-organized global investment summit in October 2021. The gathering was arranged under the Department for International Trade.
Beyond that official engagement, Burnham also interacted informally with al-Mubarak in the stands while attending Vincent Kompany's testimonial match in September 2019, having been invited by the club as a guest for a handful of home fixtures during his mayoral term. According to the GMCA, these attendances were properly declared at the time.
The disclosure also revealed that Manchester City staff accompanied Burnham on overseas trade missions, supporting visits to China and Japan. A GMCA spokesperson explained that it was standard practice for representatives of Greater Manchester's major sporting institutions to join business delegations on international visits, noting that Manchester United representatives had similarly traveled to Austin and Dublin, while Lancashire Cricket Club joined a delegation to India.
The timing of the revelations is significant given Manchester City's current predicament. The club was recently found to have breached Premier League financial regulations spanning a decade, from 2009 to 2018. City has firmly denied any wrongdoing and has lodged an appeal against the ruling.
Burnham's relationship with the club came under scrutiny after he expressed concern last month about the prospect of City's Abu Dhabi owners potentially selling the club following the damaging verdict. He praised the ownership group's contribution to Manchester's development, describing them as "a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester." The comments prompted Downing Street to issue clarification, stressing that the Prime Minister recognizes the seriousness of the findings and believes accountability must follow where misconduct is confirmed.
The disclosure has not satisfied critics, however. Shadow sports minister Louie French argued that the information released fell well short of what football supporters are entitled to know. He insisted that Burnham could not deflect responsibility onto the combined authority and must personally account for his relationship with the club.
"Burnham cannot hide behind the GMCA – he must take responsibility for this himself," French said. "We have been given precious little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what may have been agreed."
French went further, suggesting that Burnham's defense of City's ownership had unsettled fans and demanding greater candor from the Prime Minister. "If Burnham has nothing to hide, why is he being so tight-lipped? His bizarre intervention in defence of Man City's owners has raised serious concerns among fans. It's time for the prime minister to come clean about his relationship with City Football Group so the public can make their own conclusions," he said.
The episode adds another layer of political scrutiny to Manchester City's ongoing financial regulation case, as the club awaits the outcome of its appeal while facing continued questions about the extent and nature of its owners' connections with senior political figures.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.