Burnham to release details of Man City meetings

What the report says

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will publish details of his past meetings with senior Manchester City figures after criticism over comments he made following the club’s guilty verdict for breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. BBC Sport reports that Burnham plans to set out what contact he had with the club during his earlier role as mayor of Greater Manchester, saying the meetings were not recent and that he had only one significant meeting in 2021.

The issue has become politically sensitive because Burnham’s mayoral role overlapped with a period when he supported investment from the Gulf as part of Manchester’s economic growth strategy, while Manchester City’s ownership is based in Abu Dhabi. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had called for full disclosure of meetings between the prime minister and City figures, and some Premier League clubs were reported to be uneasy about the possibility of political pressure around the appeal process.

The case itself is still unresolved. An independent commission found City guilty of all charges brought against them except one related to non-cooperation, after a 42-day hearing in 2024, and the club has appealed. The commission said some witnesses gave false or dishonest evidence, and sanctions have not yet been announced. City remain able to challenge the verdict before a separate appeal board.