Prime Minister Andy Burnham has instructed a comprehensive review of his past interactions with Manchester City Football Club following scrutiny over the extent of his engagements with the club’s leadership. The call for greater transparency comes amid controversy surrounding Manchester City’s breaches of Premier League financial regulations.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) had initially stated that Burnham, who served as mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, held only one “significant” formal meeting with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, with a second informal encounter in the stands at a 2019 testimonial match. However, documents recently uncovered show that Burnham attended two hospitality dinners with Al Mubarak at the Etihad Stadium in 2017 and 2018, meetings which were not initially disclosed in public records.
Further records indicate at least seven occasions where Burnham met with senior figures from Manchester City or its parent company, City Football Group. These meetings included events such as a round-table and office opening in Shenzhen, China, in 2018; attendance at a testimonial match in 2019; a government-organised global investment summit in 2021; and gatherings at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester in 2023 and 2025 with club executives Ferran Soriano and Roel de Vries. Additionally, Burnham accepted hospitality from the club, including two tickets to a concert at the Etihad in 2018, and travelled with club officials on trips abroad, including to Japan in 2023.
Burnham has acknowledged the need for full disclosure, ordering a “manual trawl” by GMCA officials to ensure all relevant engagements and any hospitality received are fully reported. He emphasised his commitment to transparency, stating he wants “everything possible to be out there.”
The revelations have intensified debate following the Premier League’s finding that Manchester City breached financial rules more than 100 times over a nine-year period ending in 2018, including through “sham” contracts designed to covertly fund football operations by over £830 million. The club is appealing the ruling.
Burnham has previously expressed concern about the potential sale of the club by its Emirati owners, describing them as a “huge partner in the building of modern Manchester.” During his time as mayor, he had pledged support for Manchester City in seeking “fair and consistent” treatment from football authorities.
Critics have urged Burnham to be more forthcoming about his ties with the club. Shadow sports minister Louie French has called on the Prime Minister to “come clean” about his interactions, warning that he “cannot hide behind the GMCA.” French criticized the limited information provided about these meetings, questioning what was discussed and what agreements, if any, were reached.
Manchester City and the GMCA have been approached for comment on the matter. The investigation ordered by Burnham is expected to clarify the full nature of his relationship with the club and whether proper disclosures were made during his mayoral tenure.