Mayor Andy Burnham Grilled Over Private Dinners with Man City Chairman

New reports have revealed that Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the chairman of Manchester City Football Club, hosted Andy Burnham, who was then the Mayor of Greater Manchester, at two exclusive hospitality dinners in 2017 and 2018. These revelations, based on records cited by the BBC on Wednesday, come amidst increasing pressure on Mr. Burnham to fully disclose his past interactions with the Premier League club.

The dinners, which took place at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in August 2017 and April 2018, were not explicitly detailed in a statement issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on Monday. This GMCA statement had aimed to outline Mr. Burnham’s meetings and engagements with the club during his mayoral tenure.

However, an earlier register of declarations indicated that Mr. Burnham attended a dinner with Al Mubarak and Richard Leese, then the leader of Manchester City Council, during an Everton match in August 2017, valued at £300. Another entry in the register noted a dinner with the club chairman during the Manchester City-Manchester United derby in April 2018, estimated at £699. Mr. Burnham had previously declared both these dinners, alongside a pair of tickets worth £150 to an Ed Sheeran concert at the stadium in May 2018. Intriguingly, this register has since been removed from the GMCA’s official website.

The BBC reported that the authority’s policy is to only publish declarations from the current mayoral term, which commenced in 2024. However, the BBC has sought clarification from the GMCA, pointing out that some records from as far back as 2022 are still accessible online.

This unfolding situation gains traction as Mr. Burnham faces heightened scrutiny regarding his past dealings with Manchester City, particularly after an independent commission found the club guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations. When questioned in Parliament during Prime Minister’s Questions about whether club officials had raised the charges during their discussions, Mr. Burnham responded, “They did not raise those issues with me.”

Mr. Burnham affirmed his readiness to disclose details of his engagements with the club, stating he had requested the GMCA to release a statement outlining his primary interactions with Manchester City’s owners. He explained, “It is why I asked the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), in response to a call from the leader of the Opposition and others, to set out a full statement of my key dealings with the owners of Manchester City Football Club. That statement was published on Monday, and it includes the issues in the news today.”

The GMCA’s statement did list a formal meeting between Mr. Burnham and Al Mubarak during the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit in October 2021, facilitated by the Department for International Trade. It also referenced an informal meeting between the two men in the stands during a testimonial match for former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany in 2019. The statement added that Mr. Burnham had been a guest at a small number of the club’s home matches but conspicuously omitted specific mention of the two hospitality dinners now under public spotlight.

A spokesperson for Downing Street defended the hospitality, characterizing the dinners as benefits received during home matches that had been properly declared, rather than separate, distinct meetings with the club chairman. Nevertheless, opposition politicians continue to push for greater transparency. Louie French, the Conservative shadow sports minister, highlighted Mr. Burnham’s earlier promise of full disclosure. “Andy Burnham promised the country and House of Commons full transparency on his dealings with Manchester City,” French stated, adding, “This was essential after his inappropriate intervention into football.” Similarly, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Downing Street to release details of any meetings between Mr. Burnham and high-ranking club figures.

Speaking on _The Rest Is Politics_ podcast last week, Mr. Burnham reiterated his willingness to publish details of his interactions with Manchester City during his time as mayor. “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,” he confirmed, adding that he had only one significant meeting with the club in 2021.

This controversy follows an independent commission’s finding that Manchester City violated Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018. The commission determined that the club utilized what it termed “sham” contracts with commercial partners to funnel over £830 million into its football operations. Manchester City maintains its innocence and has appealed these findings, with sanctions yet to be announced. Earlier this month, former Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese defended a decade-old agreement between the council and Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG, the entity associated with the club’s ownership).