Burnham’s Man City Dinners Spark Transparency Row
(MENAFN) Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing scrutiny over two hospitality dinners he attended with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak while mayor of Greater Manchester, according to official records that have since vanished from the local authority’s website, British media reported Tuesday.
The dinners took place during Manchester City home matches in 2017 and 2018. A British tabloid reported that neither was specifically mentioned in a statement the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) issued Monday.
The first dinner came in August 2017, during a match against Everton, where Burnham dined with Al Mubarak and then-Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese. The second was held in April 2018 during the Manchester derby against Manchester United. That hospitality was valued at roughly £699 ($930). Both events had previously been declared in a GMCA register that has since been removed from the authority’s website.
The GMCA’s latest statement instead listed a formal meeting with Al Mubarak at a UK government investment summit in October 2021 and an informal encounter at former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in 2019. The authority also acknowledged that Burnham attended a small number of Manchester City home matches as a guest, saying the hospitality was declared through the usual procedures.
Burnham denies discussing financial charges
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Burnham denied that Manchester City officials had raised the Premier League’s financial charges against the club with him as mayor. “They did not raise those issues with me,” he told lawmakers, adding that he was happy for “everything to be set out in full” regarding his previous dealings with the club.
He had earlier said he held only one “significant meeting” with club officials, in 2021. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded greater transparency over his contacts with the club.
The row follows Burnham’s remarks last month that he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners decided to sell the club.
In September, an independent Premier League commission found Manchester City guilty of breaching financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, including through what it described as “sham” sponsorship agreements used to disguise funding from its ownership. The club denies wrongdoing and has appealed the findings. Sanctions have yet to be announced.
The dinners took place during Manchester City home matches in 2017 and 2018. A British tabloid reported that neither was specifically mentioned in a statement the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) issued Monday.
The first dinner came in August 2017, during a match against Everton, where Burnham dined with Al Mubarak and then-Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese. The second was held in April 2018 during the Manchester derby against Manchester United. That hospitality was valued at roughly £699 ($930). Both events had previously been declared in a GMCA register that has since been removed from the authority’s website.
The GMCA’s latest statement instead listed a formal meeting with Al Mubarak at a UK government investment summit in October 2021 and an informal encounter at former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in 2019. The authority also acknowledged that Burnham attended a small number of Manchester City home matches as a guest, saying the hospitality was declared through the usual procedures.
Burnham denies discussing financial charges
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Burnham denied that Manchester City officials had raised the Premier League’s financial charges against the club with him as mayor. “They did not raise those issues with me,” he told lawmakers, adding that he was happy for “everything to be set out in full” regarding his previous dealings with the club.
He had earlier said he held only one “significant meeting” with club officials, in 2021. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded greater transparency over his contacts with the club.
The row follows Burnham’s remarks last month that he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners decided to sell the club.
In September, an independent Premier League commission found Manchester City guilty of breaching financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, including through what it described as “sham” sponsorship agreements used to disguise funding from its ownership. The club denies wrongdoing and has appealed the findings. Sanctions have yet to be announced.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment