Andy Burnham is facing pressure from the Liberal Democrats to disclose details of all his meetings with the owners of Manchester City, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), and to declare any hospitality he has accepted at the Etihad Stadium.

Context

The call for transparency comes after the Prime Minister expressed concern regarding the potential sale of Manchester City, following the club's guilty verdict for breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations. This week, Downing Street issued two clarifications regarding the Prime Minister's comments, which were met with widespread criticism.

Burnham, who served as the mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years before returning to parliament this summer, has previously praised ADUG’s investment in the city. Sheikh Mansour purchased Manchester City in 2008 through ADUG.

Developments

Anna Sabine, the Lib Dems’ spokesperson for culture, media, and sport, stated that Burnham’s connections to ADUG warrant scrutiny. She plans to write to both Downing Street and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to demand details of Burnham's meetings with the group.