Understand
Andy Burnham had two hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman, deleted records show
Overview
Records have shown that Andy Burnham attended two hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester, which were not detailed in a recent statement by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The dinners, valued at £300 and £699, were previously listed on a GMCA register of declarations that has since been deleted from the authority's website. Downing Street has defended the hospitality as declared match attendance rather than separate meetings, while opposition politicians have raised concerns over transparency following Manchester City's breaches of Premier League rules.
Key points
- Andy Burnham had two hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in August 2017 and April 2018 while mayor of Greater Manchester.
- The dinners were not specifically detailed in a recent statement released by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) concerning his meetings with the club.
- Previous declarations of the dinners, valued at £300 and £699, were found on a GMCA register that has since been deleted from its website.
- The GMCA stated its policy is to publish entries only from the current mayoral term, though the BBC noted other entries dating back to 2022 remained.
- Downing Street defended the dinners as standard hospitality received at home matches, which had been properly declared at the time.
- Opposition politicians, including Conservative and Reform UK figures, have criticised the omission and demanded full transparency regarding Burnham's links to the club's owners.