Lib Dems demand Burnham disclose all meetings with Manchester City owners
The Liberal Democrats are calling on UK prime minister Andy Burnham to publish details of every meeting with Manchester City's owner Abu Dhabi United Group, after he voiced sympathy for the club over its financial rules breach.
British prime minister Andy Burnham is under pressure from the Liberal Democrats to publish details of all his meetings with Manchester City's owner, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), and to declare any hospitality he has received at the Etihad Stadium.
Burnham drew widespread criticism this week after saying he would be "really concerned" if ADUG were forced to sell the club following an independent commission's finding that City had breached the Premier League's financial regulations. The comments prompted Downing Street to issue two separate clarifications of his position on Thursday.
Burnham has also praised ADUG's investment in Manchester, having maintained close ties with the company during his nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester, a role he left this summer when he returned to parliament. ADUG is the vehicle through which Sheikh Mansour bought City in 2008.
Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for culture, media and sport, said Burnham's relationship with ADUG deserves scrutiny and that she intends to write to both Downing Street and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) seeking details of their meetings.
Sabine argued that football supporters are entitled to know whether the rules apply equally regardless of wealth or power, and that the prime minister's rapid defence of the club's owners raises legitimate questions about his relationship with them. She called on Burnham to disclose every meeting and conversation held with City Football Group, ADUG or UAE government representatives dating back to his time as mayor, including any hospitality he accepted.
Burnham, who supports Everton, has repeatedly been photographed in hospitality areas at City matches at the Etihad Stadium. The full scale of that hospitality remains unclear, since GMCA rules only require public disclosure of gifts for current officeholders, without the need for a freedom of information request.
Since becoming prime minister, Burnham has not attended a City match, but has been to two Everton games at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where he was seated in the directors' box despite holding a season ticket in the South Stand.
Manchester City confirmed on Friday that it has appealed against the independent commission's verdict, reiterating its position that the ruling "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe".
