Burnham to publish City meetings after guilty verdict

The prime minister will open up his diary on Manchester City.

Andy Burnham said he will publish details of his meetings with senior figures at the club. The pledge follows an independent commission verdict that City broke Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, as reported by BBC Sport.

The ruling is the biggest financial case English football has seen. The commission — a legal panel set up independently of the league to hear the charges — found City had used “sham” contracts with commercial partners to funnel more than £830m into football operations.

It heard 42 days of evidence in 2024. City were found guilty of all charges except one relating to non-cooperation with the investigation. The written report said a number of important club witnesses gave false evidence, with some knowingly giving untrue and dishonest evidence. City continue to deny wrongdoing.

Sanctions have not yet been announced. A separate independent appeal board will hear the club’s appeal.

Burnham has been pulled into the story because of his past role. He served as mayor of Manchester from 2017 until earlier this year. He told the Rest is Politics podcast he had only one significant meeting with City figures, in 2021, and would release the details.

That promise came after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at City.

Burnham also faced questions about his first reaction to the verdict. He initially told the BBC he would be “really concerned” if City’s owners decide to sell up. He later denied that had “downplayed the seriousness of the findings”. A spokesperson for the prime minister has said City should face consequences if guilty.

Some Premier League clubs are watching Westminster closely. Sources told BBC Sport that clubs were “concerned” about political interference in the appeal process after Burnham’s stance.

On the pitch, City responded in style. They beat Liverpool 3-0 in their first match since the guilty verdict.

For fans, this means two contests now run side by side. One is the football. The other is the legal fight and the politics around it, with no final punishment decided and an appeal still to come.