Details of UK PM Burnham’s Manchester City meetings published

In 2021, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Manchester City football club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak during an investment summit in his role as the then-mayor of Manchester. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority released a statement about the meeting, which came after Burnham received criticism for expressing concern that City's owners could sell the club after a ruling found them guilty of serious Premier League financial rule breaches.

In that instance, Burnham stated that the club had been a "huge partner in the building of modern Manchester" and in transforming the club into a global force. His spokesperson later indicated that the club should face "appropriate consequences" if wrongdoing was proven.

Despite this, Burnham drew criticism from opposition politicians, including the Liberal Democrats, who felt his comments defended the club's actions and demanded details about his interactions with club officials. Burnham served as Greater Manchester Mayor from May 2017 to June 2026. The GMCA statement explained that Burnham had a formal meeting with Al Mubarak at a UK Government Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade in October 2021.

He also met Al Mubarak informally during a testimonial game in 2019 while serving as mayor. Manchester City staff supported Burnham's visits to China and Japan with business delegations.