Liberal Democrats have called for transparency at Burnham City meetings by demanding the PM, Andy Burnham, reveals any dealings he has had with the owners of Manchester City and representatives from Abu Dhabi.
The call comes after Burnham was criticised for defending City’s ownership after an independent commission ruled the club’s management had been negligent in its role. City’s owners have been “key to the development of modern Manchester, and the club as a world-renowned sporting force” said Burnham, who will be the Greater Manchester mayor for the next three years until June 2026.
His comments led to opposition politicians asking what he did have with the club’s ownership group. Anna Sabine, the culture, media and sport spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, wrote to Burnham demanding to know about all of the meetings and conversations City Football Group, Abu Dhabi United Group and UAE government representatives have had since Burnham was appointed mayor.
Sabine also requested that all hospitality and freebies provided to Burnham be made public, saying football fans deserve to be certain that money and regulations are treated equally for big money clubs and their owners.
The clash is set against the backdrop of Manchester City appealing against an independent commission decision which ruled the City had committed serious financial offences against the Premier League. The club wants to appeal against the decision and prevent the possibility of massive penalties.
The Premier League said the decision found that City’s deals had been “sham” commercial contracts, which had overstated revenue and underestimated spending by over £900m in the previous nine years. After a Number 10 source stated on Thursday that City should face the right sort of punishment if it turns out that they’re guilty of something, the political pressure escalated.
