Burnham hospitality records renew scrutiny of Manchester City contacts

Previously declared hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak have brought renewed scrutiny of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's contacts with the club while he was mayor of Greater Manchester. BBC News reported that records of two dinners, held at matches in 2017 and 2018, were not individually described in a statement issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on Monday.

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A former declarations register seen by the BBC listed hospitality valued at £300 for an Everton match at the Etihad Stadium in August 2017. The entry described a dinner involving Burnham, then-Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese and the club chairman. Another entry recorded a dinner with the chairman at the Manchester derby in April 2018, with hospitality valued at approximately £699. Burnham had declared both occasions.

The authority's latest statement identified a formal meeting with Al Mubarak at the government's Global Investment Summit in October 2021 and an informal encounter at Vincent Kompany's testimonial in 2019. It also acknowledged that Burnham had attended a small number of City home matches as a guest while mayor, without specifying the two dinners. Downing Street said these were declared matchday hospitality, not separate meetings with the chairman.

The earlier register is no longer on the authority's website. The BBC reported that it understood the authority's policy was to publish declarations only for the current mayoral term. It has requested clarification because entries dating to 2022 remain available, although the current term began in 2024. The broadcaster also asked why the dinners were not separately identified in Monday's account.

The questions follow an independent commission's September finding that City breached Premier League financial regulations. According to BBC News, the commission found breaches spanning 2009 to 2018 involving commercial arrangements used to channel more than £830 million into football operations. City denies wrongdoing and has appealed. Sanctions have not yet been announced.

Burnham had drawn criticism after saying he would be concerned if City's owners sold the club. At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, he said the charges had not been raised with him when asked about discussions involving him or his team. He also reiterated his willingness for his dealings to be disclosed. The account released by the combined authority did not detail what was discussed at the listed meetings, BBC News reported.