Lib Dems demand Burnham to disclose talks with Manchester City owners
The party said Burnham should publish any talks with City Football Group, Abu Dhabi United Group or UAE officials after his comments on the club's owners.
- On Friday, the Liberal Democrats urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to disclose all meetings with Manchester City's owners and Abu Dhabi representatives, stepping up criticism of his recent comments on the club.
- Earlier this week, Burnham expressed concern about the owners potentially selling the club, calling them "a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester" and "in turning the club into a global force" despite 114 financial rule breaches.
- The Premier League reported on Tuesday that Manchester City used "sham" commercial contracts to inflate revenue, allegedly understating costs by more than $1.19 billion over nearly a decade, with the club filing an appeal.
- Liberal Democrat spokesperson for culture, media and sport Anna Sabine told the Prime Minister, "Football fans up and down the country deserve to know that the rules apply to everyone," warning that defending the owners risks undermining regulatory trust.
- Shadow Sports Minister Louie French urged officials to "keep politics out of football," while Downing Street clarified any wrongdoing should face "appropriate consequences" and former FA chairman David Bernstein warned against political interference.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Several Premier League clubs were so "shocked" by comments made by Andy Burnham - which appeared to downplay the decision against Manchester City - that they are now "concerned" about political interference in the appeal process, sources have told BBC Sport. Senior English club officials say they were shocked to hear the Prime Minister tell the BBC he would be "really concerned" if City's owners decided to sell the club after they were found gui…
Manchester City, an EPL club, has committed accounting fraud worth 1.6 trillion won over nine seasons, causing a major stir in the British football and political worlds. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in a political predicament as the club faces the threat of expulsion and the legitimacy of Manchesterism—a regional economic model utilizing Middle Eastern capital—is being undermined.
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- 39% of the sources lean Left
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