Tory Leader Describes Burnham’s Comments on Man City’s Financial Missteps As “Outrageous”
Andy Burnham branded Manchester City’s alleged breach of Premier League financial regulations as “completely out of touch” with fans and the general public, the Conservatives stated.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned on Wednesday that he would be “very concerned” if the club’s owners decided to exit the ownership after an independent commission found the majority of City’s 115 charges guilty.
The remarks sparked a wave of dissent across the football world, prompting the Conservatives to label the commentary “frankly extraordinary.”
Manchester City denied any wrongdoing and retained until Friday to submit an appeal.
The independent panel detailed how the club had arranged “sham contracts” with various commercial partners, a scheme intended to hide more than £830 million in secret funding.
The Premier League characterized the club as having “systematically broken Premier League rules for nearly a decade.”
The Conservatives accused Burnham of publicly backing the owners despite the ongoing investigation and questioned whether political pressure was influencing the narrative.
During an interview with BBC political editor Chris Mason, Burnham—former mayor of Greater Manchester until June—explained he was “not directly involved in the proceedings,” adding that the review must be handled independently by the Premier League.
He maintained the issue remained contested by Manchester City and stressed that “jumping to conclusions” would be unwise.
“They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the development of Manchester City into a global powerhouse,” burnham remarked. “I’m not going to intervene further in the process—doing so would be wrong.”
