Audio By Carbonatix
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will release details of his meetings with senior figures at Manchester City following criticism of his comments after the club was found guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.
An independent commission found City had broken rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 by creating "sham" contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel more than ÂŁ830m into their football operations.
Burnham's previous role as mayor of Greater Manchester has led to questions about his relationship with City's Abu Dhabi ownership, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanding No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at the club.
"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," Burnham told the Rest is Politics podcast.
"I will quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
"None of it is recent, actually, in terms of the meetings I had. I only had one significant meeting, actually, and that was in 2021."
The prime minister initially told the BBC he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decide to sell up following the guilty verdict before later denying his reaction had "downplayed the seriousness of the findings".
However, some Premier League clubs were so "astonished" by Burnham's stance that sources told BBC Sport they were "concerned" about political interference in the appeal process.
Sanctions are yet to be announced and City have lodged an appeal against the verdict.
City returned to action for the first time since the guilty verdict when they played at Liverpool on Sunday, winning 3-0.
Burnham defends comments on Man City
Burnham was mayor of Manchester from 2017 until earlier this year and his tenure took place during a sustained period of success for City.
As mayor, he championed investment from the Gulf to grow Manchester's economy, a strategy that the city's leaders had initially pursued before Burnham became the inaugural elected mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
"I don't think I misspoke," said Burnham of his past comments on Man City's owners.
"What I would say is my mind hadn't been on all of the issues. My mind had been on Labour Party conference, and I was doing interviews in relation to it.
"And also, I didn't link those two things. You know, the questions linked those two things. What I would say is they're very separate.
"The football issues are different from the investment issues. People will try and conflate those two things, but they shouldn't, in my view.
"The football issues, the findings of the independent commission are serious, as I said in the interview."
The entire process involving the charges against Manchester City is independent of the Premier League.
An independent commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024, which led to the verdict announced last month, with the City also found guilty of all charges except one relating to non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation.
The commission's report said that "a number of important club witnesses gave false evidence in key respects and that some knowingly gave untrue and dishonest evidence".
A separate independent appeal board will hear City's appeal. The club continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Latest Stories
-
‘Farmers Services Centres to be game changer for Ghana’s agriculture’ – Mahama
15 minutes -
WIWIK launches new leadership development pathway for Ghanaian university students
20 minutes -
Public basic schools resume today after strike suspension
27 minutes -
Environment Minister calls for transparency in Ghana’s GMO adoptionÂ
34 minutes -
Ghana risks 10% to 100% tariffs on exports to US under Trump’s threats as it moves to join BRICS
49 minutes -
US imposes sanctions on ICC hours after former judge wins Nobel Peace Prize
2 hours -
South Africa withdraws asylum directive after anti-migrant violence
2 hours -
Moroccan king says migration cooperation model with Spain hit limit
2 hours -
Libya’s military seizes narcotics after firefight with smugglers
3 hours -
At least 139 migrants dead, including some children, after boat from Djibouti to Yemen capsizes, UN agency says
3 hours -
“US Embassy introduced TRIBE Culture Fest to NSA, GTA” – Kofi Adams
3 hours -
“NSA did not tell us of any embassy arrangement” – Kofi Adams
3 hours -
Kumasi records third commercial fire in three days
5 hours -
Trump faces growing backlash over plans to import diesel from Russia
5 hours -
AI is less regulated than milk, says Microsoft president
5 hours