The Sun's investigation reveals that Andy Burnham has been accused of downplaying his relationship with Man City. Previously, he stated he had only one "important meeting" with club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. However, a subsequently removed register of interests showed he had been entertained twice in the VIP area of the Etihad Stadium alongside Mubarak while serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Related records show Burnham accepted hospitality and benefits from Man City totalling nearly £1,200. These were documented in his register of interests signed on 7 December 2020, but the document was subsequently removed from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) website.

Burnham has previously committed to transparency regarding his dealings with Man City. The club is currently appealing an independent panel's finding that it breached more than 100 Premier League rules.

Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick stated: "This is deeply suspicious. Burnham appears to have misled people about the extent of his contact with Man City's owners. It's no wonder he's so keen to protect them. Fans deserve a Prime Minister untainted by this scandal."

Opposition Sports Minister Louise French said the public still lacks full information about these meetings, the discussions, and their potential outcomes, questioning why Burnham remained silent.

Burnham previously expressed concern about "losing" Man City's Abu Dhabi owners and subsequently had to adjust his statement. Earlier, sources from the UAE suggested that a particularly severe penalty for Man City could affect their £30 billion investment plans.

On Monday, Burnham told Parliament that all his dealings with Man City's owners would be made public. Hours later, the GMCA issued a statement on his behalf, saying he had attended Man City home matches as a guest "on a small number of occasions."

The authority acknowledged that Burnham had an informal meeting with Mubarak at a testimonial match for former captain Vincent Kompany in September 2019, but stated there was only one formal meeting, held in October 2021 at a government-hosted investment summit. Despite these meetings being documented in council records, two pre-match dinners had never previously been mentioned.

On Sunday, Burnham stated on the podcast "The Rest Is Politics" that he was prepared to disclose all interactions with Man City during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester. He emphasized these events were not recent and claimed he had attended only one truly significant meeting, referring to the 2021 meeting.

However, the register of interests shows that in August 2017, Burnham dined with the then-leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, and Mubarak while Man City hosted Everton, the team Burnham supports. The hospitality, valued at £338, was provided by Man City.

During the Manchester derby in April 2018, Burnham again accepted hospitality from Mubarak, including food and seating valued at £699. A month later, Man City also gifted him two tickets worth £150 for an Ed Sheeran concert, also held at the Etihad Stadium.

In February 2019, Burnham attended Kompany's charity dinner at the Hilton Manchester. Pep Guardiola, Man City players, and Oasis member Noel Gallagher were among those present. The event aimed to address homelessness in Manchester through the Tackle4MCR project, which raised nearly £250,000 that evening.

At Kompany's testimonial match in September that year, Burnham was again photographed in close conversation with Mubarak. These images later became the basis for public discussions about his relationship with Man City.

Burnham's register of interests, submitted and signed in December 2020, documented the above hospitality, but records from his first term as mayor were subsequently removed online. Records from his second term remain accessible. The Sun claims to have found an archived version of the document.

Additionally, two months after the 2017 dinner, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority approved a £24.5 million loan to Manchester Life. This property development project involved Manchester City Council and Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Man City's owner, with Sir Richard Leese serving as a board member of the company at that time. After stepping down as council leader in December 2021, he subsequently became Man City's honorary chairman.

Three Manchester Life companies controlled by Sheikh Mansour received a total of approximately £55.7 million in loans from the authority. Manchester Life states that all loans were repaid with interest. The GMCA asserts that all gifts and hospitality were declared in accordance with regulations.

The Sun also revealed that Mubarak met Jonathan Reynolds, Labour's opposition Business Secretary, at 10 Downing Street in September this year—a party to which Burnham belongs. Previously, the newspaper reported that Labour politicians received nearly £300,000 in benefits and hospitality from UAE and Man City sources, and disclosed that Burnham attended the opening of the club's second office in China alongside a Man City delegation in 2018.

Man City has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has appealed the independent panel's ruling. The British Prime Minister's office declined to comment.

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