Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed to publishing a full account of his meetings with senior figures at Manchester City, responding to calls for transparency following the club's guilty verdict on financial rule breaches.
The commitment comes after Burnham faced criticism for his initial remarks in the aftermath of an independent commission finding Manchester City guilty of all charges related to Premier League financial violations. An independent commission determined that City had breached rules across a nine-year span from 2009 to 2018 by establishing "sham" contracts with commercial partners to secretly channel more than £830m into their football operations.
Burnham's previous tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until earlier this year has raised questions about his relationship with City's Abu Dhabi ownership. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior club figures. The Liberal Democrats had also urged Burnham in October to disclose meetings with City's owners, Abu Dhabi representatives or related entities.
I've been asked by the leader of the opposition to publish details of my meetings, which I'm happy to do and I'm going to. I will quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Speaking to the Rest is Politics podcast, Burnham emphasised that his interactions with the club were not recent.
None of it is recent, actually, in terms of the meetings I had. I only had one significant meeting, actually, and that was in 2021.
What sparked the controversy over Burnham's comments?
Burnham's initial response to the guilty verdict drew scrutiny when he told the BBC he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decided to sell following the verdict. He later clarified that his reaction had not "downplayed the seriousness of the findings". However, some Premier League clubs reacted with alarm to his stance, with sources telling a national broadcaster they were "concerned" about potential political interference in the appeal process.
Burnham defended his earlier comments, stating:
I don't think I misspoke. What I would say is my mind hadn't been on all of the issues. My mind had been on Labour Party conference and I was doing interviews in relation to it. And also, I didn't link those two things. You know, the questions linked those two things. What I would say is they're very separate. The football issues are different from the investment issues. People will try and conflate those two things, but they shouldn't, in my view. The football issues, the findings of the independent commission are serious, as I said in the interview.
What was Burnham's role in Manchester's relationship with Gulf investment?
During his time as mayor, Burnham championed investment from the Gulf region as a mechanism for expanding Manchester's economy. This strategy had been pursued by the city's leadership before Burnham became the inaugural elected mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. His tenure coincided with a period of sustained sporting success for Manchester City.
What were the findings against Manchester City?
The independent commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024 that resulted in the verdict announced last month. Manchester City was found guilty of all charges except one relating to non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation. The Premier League's case included three of four charges concerning City's failure to cooperate with its investigation.
The commission's report stated that "a number of important club witnesses gave false evidence in key respects and that some knowingly gave untrue and dishonest evidence". The entire process involving the charges against Manchester City is independent of the Premier League, overseen by an independent commission rather than the league itself.
Manchester City continues to deny any wrongdoing and has lodged an appeal against the verdict. The appeal was filed at 7pm on 1 October, with the appeal board able to dismiss it, allow it, send the case back for further consideration, or change any sanction or compensation order.
What happens next in the appeal process?
A separate independent appeal board will hear Manchester City's case. The club has stated it will appeal on the basis that the commission's opinion contained "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact". The appeal hearing must take place within 12 weeks of the 1 October filing—by 24 December—and the decision is due within 30 days after the hearing concludes.
Manchester City returned to action for the first time since the guilty verdict when they played at Liverpool on Sunday, securing a 3-0 victory. Burnham's full interview on The Rest is Politics podcast was scheduled for release on Monday, 12 October.
Key Facts
- Manchester City was found guilty of all charges except one relating to non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation, involving breaches spanning 2009 to 2018
- Burnham held one significant meeting with City representatives in 2021 during his tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester
- The appeal decision must be delivered by 24 December 2026, with the outcome potentially including dismissal, approval, case referral, or sanction modification
- Multiple political parties have called for transparency regarding meetings between government figures and Manchester City's ownership
