Andy Burnham’s meetings with scandal-hit Manchester City were revealed tonight after he sparked a row with his remarks in support of the club’s Abu Dhabi owners.
The Prime Minister had a formal meeting with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at an investment summit in October 2021 while he was Greater Manchester mayor.
He also chatted to Mr Al Mubarak in the stands during a testimonial game in 2019 and was accompanied by City staff on official overseas visits to China and Japan.
The details of Mr Burnham’s contacts with City during his time as mayor were released by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on Monday.
It came after the PM last month caused uproar by saying he would be ‘really concerned’ if City’s owners sold the club after being found to have broken rules in a huge ‘cheat’ storm.
The Premier League side have been found guilty of breaching financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 – a period of unprecedented success for the club.
City have maintained their innocence and appealed against the verdict.
In the wake of the GMCA’s disclosure, the Tories said there had been ‘precious little information’ about Mr Burnham’s meetings with City and questioned why the PM ‘is being so tight-lipped’.
Andy Burnham, then Greater Manchester mayor, pictured with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in 2019
A GMCA spokesman said: ‘In October 2021 Andy Burnham, in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
‘In his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
‘Also during his time as mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits.
‘This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.’
Mr Burnham said last month he would be ‘really concerned’ if City’s Abu Dhabi owners sold the club in the wake of the finding against them, crediting them with being ‘a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester’.
Downing Street sought to clarify his comments afterwards, saying the PM was clear the judgment is serious and that where wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the consequences.
Tory shadow sports minister Louie French said the disclosure of Mr Burnham’s meetings was ‘far from the full transparency that football fans deserve’.
Mr French said: ‘Burnham cannot hide behind the GMCA – he must take responsibility for this himself.
‘We have been given precious little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what may have been agreed.
‘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 PM to come clean about his relationship with City Football Group so the public can make their own conclusions.’
