How the British Prime Minister was at the center of the Man City scandal

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the podcast Rest is politics promised to publish details of his meetings with the leadership of Manchester City due to accusations of lobbying and sympathy for the Arab owners of the club.

Manchester City were found guilty on September 29 of violating the financial rules of the English Premier League (EPL), and the owners of the club (the ruling family of the emirate of Abu Dhabi) of tax evasion.

An independent EPL panel found Manchester City guilty of artificially inflating commercial deals and concealing staff costs between 2009 and 2018, as well as refusing to cooperate with the league's investigation between 2018 and 2023. The three-person commission said the club had gained an unfair advantage worth more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) through several "bully" contracts.

In this regard, in England, they call for the club to be deprived of all titles and punished by relegation from the Premier League. Fans began to organize actions against Manchester City. The club bus, because of the threat of attack by rival fans, even had to change the route on the way to the Anfield stadium before the guest match with Liverpool, the police had to significantly strengthen security measures in the city.

Why Prime Minister Accused of Lobbying Man City Owners

The day after Manchester City’s conviction, Burnham told the BBC he “would be very concerned if he lost the current owners of Manchester City as investors.”.

“I would be very concerned if we lost them. They played a huge role in creating a modern Manchester and, of course, in making Manchester City the global power it is today, Burnham said. I sincerely thank City Football Group and all the owners for the money they have invested not only in the Etihad Stadium and the surrounding area, but in the city itself.

The comment sparked criticism of Burnham and public concern over possible political interference in the biggest scandal in Premier League history.

The investigation into Manchester City's fraud began in 2018, the hearings of the independent commission began in September 2024 and ended in December of the same year.

Over the past year, the British public has wondered why it has been too long for City to be charged. Experts and media have speculated that the authorities are afraid to spoil close economic relations with the UAE.

For this reason, according to human rights activists, Britain does not impose sanctions against Sheikh Mansour (owner of Manchester City, Deputy Prime Minister of Abu Dhabi) for “complicity in war crimes” in Sudan.

Dissatisfaction with the explanation prompted a spokesman for the prime minister's office to say: "As the prime minister has made clear, the initial decision is serious and one cannot assume that anyone is above the rules.".

However, the criticism has not subsided. Moreover, The Times on October 12 published an article claiming that the City Council of Greater Manchester under the leadership of Burnham (was the mayor of Manchester in 2017-2026) signed a non-disclosure agreement with the owners of City about real estate transactions. The practice began long before Burnham became mayor, but continued under him.

“Confidentiality clauses are often found in contracts with developers. However, the scale of the project, the involvement of a foreign state and the vastness of public lands raise questions about transparency.

When Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester, the city gave Abu Dhabi developers £55m in three loan payments. These funds helped pay for the construction of three residential complexes.

The partnership with Abu Dhabi led to a period of extraordinary development for the city. But experts, politicians and former city council officials interviewed by The Times say there is a lack of clarity about the benefits to taxpayers.

Burnham said on The Rest is Politics podcast, “I see people trying to mix these things up (the football scandal and the Manchester City owners’ investment activity in the city).” The Leader of the Opposition has asked me to publish the details of my meetings, and I will gladly do so. I will make everything clear that I have done while working with them in my previous position as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

"I only had one meaningful meeting on this topic and that was in 2021," he added. Football issues are serious and need to be addressed. But I think everyone should separate investment and football because they are not the same thing.