Andy Burnham’s ties to Manchester City revealed as fresh details released | Politics | News
Andy Burnham’s ties to scandal-hit Manchester City have been laid bare after documents revealed that club staff accompanied the then mayor on several official overseas visits. The former mayor of Greater Manchester also had a formal meeting with the club’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, at an investment summit and chatted to him in the stands at a star player’s testimonial game.
Details of the Prime Minister’s contacts with the club and its Abu Dhabi owners during his time as mayor were released by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on Monday. 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.”
City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The club maintained their innocence and appealed against the verdict.
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, crediting them with being “a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester”.
Downing Street sought to clarify his comments afterwards, saying the Prime Minister was clear the judgment is serious and that where wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the consequences.
