UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to publish details of his meetings with senior Manchester City figures following criticism of his comments about the club’s Abu Dhabi-backed ownership after an independent commission found the Premier League champions guilty of financial rule breaches.
Burnham, who became prime minister in July after serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, faced scrutiny after expressing concern about the prospect of losing City’s ownership investment in English football.
In an interview with the BBC following the publication of the commission’s findings, Burnham described City Football Group and its wider ownership as major partners in the development of modern Manchester. He also praised their investment in the Etihad Stadium, the surrounding campus and the wider city.
The comments prompted concerns about potential political interference in one of English football’s most significant financial cases. Burnham’s spokesperson subsequently clarified that the prime minister recognised the seriousness of the findings and supported allowing the independent process to run its course.
Burnham Says Meetings Were Not Recent
Speaking in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast, due to be released on Monday, Burnham said he was willing to disclose details of his meetings with Manchester City representatives.
“I’ve been asked by the leader of the opposition to publish details of my meetings, which I’m happy to do,” Burnham said.
He added that his work with the club took place during his time as mayor and that he had held one significant meeting in 2021.
Burnham also rejected the suggestion that he regretted his original comments, arguing that the questions had linked two separate issues: football regulation and investment in the UK.
“The football issues are different from the investment issues,” he said, while acknowledging the seriousness of the independent commission’s findings.
Manchester City Case Raises Wider Questions
According to the report, the independent commission found Manchester City guilty of artificially inflating commercial agreements and concealing staff costs between 2009 and 2018, as well as failing to cooperate with a Premier League investigation between 2018 and 2023.
The three-member panel concluded that the club had gained an unfair advantage worth more than £900 million through several contracts it described as sham arrangements.
The findings have intensified debate over the relationship between football club ownership, international investment and political influence in the UK.
Burnham, a lifelong Everton supporter, also referred to his club’s experience with Premier League financial proceedings. Everton were docked points across two seasons for breaches of spending rules, an experience he said had influenced his view of the need to avoid reaching conclusions prematurely.
The publication of Burnham’s meeting records is expected to bring further scrutiny to his relationship with Manchester City’s ownership and the wider role of overseas investment in English football.