In Manchester, a political row around football finance has moved towards a public accounting of meetings and influence. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will disclose the details of his dealings with Manchester City after criticism of his comments on the club’s ownership and its financial case.
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Burnham, 56, was Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until 2026 and has faced calls from the opposition to clarify his relationship with City. The Premier League club is facing the possibility of major punishment over 114 financial-rule breaches dating from 2009 to 2018.
The pressure followed Burnham’s remarks about the prospect of the club’s Emirati owners leaving. He said he would be “very sorry” to lose them, describing their role as central to the development of modern Manchester.
He has now promised full disclosure. “The leader of the opposition asked me to publish the details of my meetings, and I am happy to do that,” Burnham said in extracts from an upcoming appearance on The Rest is Politics.
He added that he would release, “in the interests of transparency”, everything he had undertaken with Manchester City. Burnham insisted that none of his meetings with the club had taken place recently, with only one described as significant, in 2021.
The Prime Minister said football-related issues must be dealt with properly and stressed that the process examining City’s case is independent and should be allowed to continue. He also argued that questions over investment should be separated from the sporting and regulatory proceedings.
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The full podcast interview is due to be released on Monday, when Burnham is expected to give further detail on his contacts with Manchester City and the 2021 meeting he identified as important.
