Andy Burnham vows to publish all meetings with Manchester City owners after opposition pressure

Burnham promised full disclosure of his contacts with the club’s owners, separating football regulation from city investment.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:46:23 GMT

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced he will publish details of his meetings with Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners, responding to a demand from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch.

What happened

Burnham made the pledge on the Rest is Politics podcast, which is scheduled for release on Monday. He said he will "put out there" everything he did while serving as Greater Manchester mayor in relation to the club’s owners. The announcement follows criticism after Burnham earlier expressed concern that the owners might sell the club if a Premier League financial‑rules ruling stands.

What the reports add

Standard.co.uk reported that Burnham’s promise came after Badenoch challenged him to release "everything" linked to his work with the club. The Independent noted that Downing Street issued two clarifications, with a spokesperson calling the guilty verdict against the club "serious" and emphasizing that Burnham does not intend to intervene in the Premier League disciplinary process.

What was said

Burnham told the podcast, "I've been asked by the leader of the opposition to publish details of my meetings, which I'm happy to do," and added he will "quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as mayor of Greater Manchester." The Independent quoted him saying, "I don't think I misspoke. 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." Downing Street, as reported by both outlets, described the Premier League judgment as "serious" and said any wrongdoing would be addressed appropriately.

How it came about

Burnham’s comments follow his September 30 interview in which he warned he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City lost its Abu Dhabi owners, a stance covered by Felo News in Andy Burnham says he would be concerned if Manchester City lose owners. The Premier League case, which found the club guilty of multiple financial‑regulation breaches between 2009 and 2018, has kept the issue in the political spotlight.

Key facts

• Andy Burnham pledged to publish all details of his meetings with Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners. (standard.co.uk)
• The pledge was made on the Rest is Politics podcast, due Monday. (independent.co.uk)
• Kemi Badenoch asked Burnham to release "everything" related to his work with the club. (standard.co.uk)
• Downing Street described the Premier League verdict as "serious" and said any wrongdoing would be addressed. (independent.co.uk)

Sources

• [1] standard.co.uk
• [2] independent.co.uk