Burnham told to ‘come clean’ as deleted records show he had two dinners with Man City chairman

Andy Burnham has been told to “come clean” after deleted records reportedly show he had two hospitality dinners with Manchester City’s chairman when he was mayor of the city.

The prime minister is facing questions over his ties to the scandal-hit club during his time as Greater Manchester mayor, and has told MPs that “all of my dealings” with its Abu Dhabi owners would be published.

On Monday, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) revealed Mr Burnham had a formal meeting with Manchester City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at an investment summit, chatted to him in the stands at a star player’s testimonial game and was accompanied by staff from the club on official overseas visits.

But it has since emerged that Mr Burnham also dined with Mr Al Mubarak at matches in 2017 and 2018, with the register of declarations in which the dinners were included reportedly deleted from the GMCA website.

These meetings were not shared by the GMCA in its initial statement on Monday.

Asked why the GMCA this week did not refer to the dinners, Mr Burnham’s press secretary pointed to a passage in the statement that said: “He was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions.

“The PM’s attendance and the hospitality he received at them was declared in the usual way.”

Pressed on why the entries were deleted, the press secretary told reporters the GMCA’s website was a matter for the authority.

Declarations are kept online during a mayoral term, it is understood.

But shadow sports minister Louie French urged the prime minister to “come clean” about his ties to the club, warning he “cannot hide behind the GMCA”.

“We have been given precious little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what may have been agreed,” he said.

“If Burnham has nothing to hide, why is he being so tight-lipped? His bizarre intervention in defence of Man City’s owners has raised serious concerns among fans.

“It’s time for the prime minister to come clean about his relationship with City Football Group so the public can make their own conclusions.”

Manchester City have been found guilty on all counts of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules and “the majority of charges” relating to failing to co-operate with the league’s investigation.

Mr Burnham told the Commons on Wednesday that Manchester City’s owners and directors did not raise the Premier League’s charges against the club when he met with them.

A GMCA spokesman said: “In October 2021 Andy Burnham, in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.

“In his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the chairman informally in the stands.

“These have been declared in the usual way.

“Also during his time as mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits.

“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”