Andy Burnham urged to disclose Manchester City owner meetings after financial ruling

Andy Burnham is facing calls to publish full details of his contacts with Manchester City’s owners and Abu Dhabi representatives after the club was found guilty of serious Premier League financial breaches.

The Liberal Democrats increased pressure on the prime minister on Friday, demanding an immediate explanation of his relationship with the club’s owners and any associated organisations.

The demands followed comments made by Burnham earlier this week, in which he expressed concern that Manchester City’s owners could sell the club after the ruling. Burnham, who was mayor of Greater Manchester from May 2017 until June 2026, described the owners as “a key partner in building modern Manchester” and in “turning the club into a global force”.

According to Reuters, the comments were seen by opposition politicians as an unjustified defence of a club that had been found guilty. They were made only hours after the judgment was announced.

In a strongly worded letter to the prime minister’s office, Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrats’ culture, media and sport spokesperson, said: “Football fans across the country deserve to know that the rules apply to everyone, regardless of their wealth or influence.”

She added: “When a prime minister rushes to defend the owners of a club just hours after a ruling, people are entitled to question the nature of their relationship with them.

“Andy Burnham must come clean and publish details of every meeting and conversation he has had with City Football Group, Abu Dhabi United Group or representatives of the government of the United Arab Emirates since he became mayor – including any free hospitality he received.”

The political dispute comes as Manchester City appeals against the decision of an independent commission, which found the club had committed serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The club is seeking to overturn the ruling and avoid potentially severe sanctions. Manchester City denies any wrongdoing.

The Premier League disclosed details of the findings on Tuesday, saying Manchester City had used “fabricated” commercial contracts as part of schemes to inflate revenue and reduce costs by more than £900m ($1.19bn) over almost a decade.

The appeal has placed Burnham’s government in an awkward position. On Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson was forced to clarify that Manchester City should face “appropriate consequences” if any wrongdoing was established, in an apparent attempt to contain the anger surrounding the case.

Louie French, the shadow sports minister, called on the government to “keep politics out of football” and to ensure the independent commission remained free from any “external influence”.