Burnham to release details of Man City meetings — SkimNews
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- Andy Burnham said on the Rest is Politics podcast he will publish details of his meetings with senior Manchester City figures, responding to a demand from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that No 10 release the records
- Burnham said he had only one significant meeting with the club, which took place in 2021 during his tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester (2017 until earlier this year)
- An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges except one for breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018, involving "sham" contracts that secretly funnelled more than £830m into football operations
- Some Premier League clubs were "astonished" by Burnham's stance, with sources telling BBC Sport they were "concerned" about political interference in City's appeal process
- Burnham initially told the BBC he would be "really concerned" if City's owners decided to sell after the verdict, before later denying his reaction had "downplayed the seriousness" of the commission's findings
- City won 3-0 at Liverpool on Sunday in their first match since the guilty verdict and have lodged an appeal, with sanctions yet to be announced by a separate independent appeal board
Why it matters: Burnham's pledge to release meeting details is a direct response to opposition demands and to Premier League clubs who told BBC Sport they are "concerned" about political interference in City's appeal — a process whose sanctions remain pending. The commission found City guilty of all charges except one, citing false evidence from key club witnesses, meaning the appeal's outcome could coincide with fresh political scrutiny of the prime minister's ties to the club's owners.
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