Andy Burnham faces cover-up row after publishing Manchester City dealings

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has published details of his dealings with Manchester City's owners and staff during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, after pressure from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The release follows criticism of comments Burnham made last month, after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. He said he would be concerned if the club's Abu Dhabi owners sold Manchester City, and credited them as a major partner in building modern Manchester. Downing Street later clarified that the judgement was serious and that anyone responsible for wrongdoing should face the consequences.

Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, Burnham said he would put out everything he had done with the club's owners while mayor. He said there was only one significant meeting, in 2021, and that football issues must be kept separate from investment issues. He added that he had been asked by the Leader of the Opposition to publish details of his meetings and was happy to do so.

The published details show:

• A formal meeting in 2021 between Burnham and Manchester City chairman Haldoun Al Mubarak during an investment summit.
• Several visits by Burnham to home matches in 2019, including an informal chat with the chairman in the stands.
• An official overseas visit in which the delegation included staff from the club.

Burnham has pointed to wider investment from Manchester City's owners in Greater Manchester, including a 2014 deal worth around £1bn over ten years for housing projects on the edge of the city centre and close to the Etihad Stadium. He has argued that investment issues should not be confused with the club's football case. Manchester City deny breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 and are appealing the verdict.

The release has not ended criticism. The Shadow Sports Minister said it contained precious little information about the meetings themselves. Coverage of The Sun's front page, under the headline Man Shifty, said Burnham had been forced to publish interactions and documents. It claimed he had two freebie dinners with the club's owners despite initially claiming there was only one, and that a Sun probe found deleted records. Questions were also raised about £55m in taxpayer-backed loans Burnham signed off to help the owners.

Some defence of Burnham has focused on the role of a regional mayor in courting major international investors. Supporters of that view argue that mayors and senior politicians would be expected to engage with the biggest investors in their area, while still accepting that there are moral and policy questions about relying on Gulf money. The football case and the investment relationship are now part of the same political row.