UK Prime Minister ready to disclose all Manchester City contacts amid opposition pressure

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared his readiness to release full details of all his contacts and joint projects with Manchester City dating back to his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

His statement comes after an independent commission found the Premier League club guilty of breaching financial regulations over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. During that era, City established domestic dominance, which has now triggered calls for their trophies to be stripped.

The club's golden period coincided with Burnham holding prominent public office. After Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called on him to publish all records regarding his dealings with the club, the Prime Minister pledged to do so.

Speaking on Monday's episode of 'The Rest is Politics' podcast, Burnham insisted that footballing issues should not be conflated with wider investment matters.

"I see attempts being made to conflate the two. The leader of the opposition asked me to publish details of my meetings, and I am very happy to do so. I will be completely transparent about everything I did in partnership with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester," he stressed.

"In fact, these discussions are not recent. I had only one substantive meeting, and that was back in 2021. That is a fact, and I will publish all the data. The footballing issues are serious, they must be addressed, and the independent process must run its full course. Nevertheless, I believe investment matters should be kept separate, as they are entirely different things," the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister recently sparked widespread debate after stating he would be "deeply concerned" if the club's Abu Dhabi owners walked away following the ruling, having hailed them as a "huge partner in the regeneration of modern Manchester."

10 Downing Street moved quickly to clarify his position, stating that Burnham considers the commission's findings serious and maintains that where breaches are established, those responsible must face the consequences.

Manchester City continue to maintain their innocence and have already lodged an appeal against the ruling. On Sunday, the reigning champions claimed an emphatic 3-0 victory away at Liverpool in their first fixture following the announcement, keeping them at the summit of the Premier League.