Andy Burnham twice had hospitality dinners with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak while mayor of Greater Manchester, according to a register of declarations that has since been removed from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website. Neither dinner was specifically identified in the statement the authority published on Monday, at the prime minister's request, to set out his dealings with the club's owners.
The BBC says it has seen the register, whose removal was first reported by The Sun. The disclosure adds to pressure on Mr Burnham that has built since 29 September, when an independent Commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over nine seasons, and he told the BBC the next day he would be "really concerned" if the owners sold the club.
The register records a "dinner with [then-Manchester City Council leader] Richard Leese and Chair of Man City" at an Everton match at the Etihad in August 2017, "valued at £300 for hospitality". A second entry records "dinner with the Chairman at the Man City/Man Utd derby at the Etihad" in April 2018, "valued at approximately £699". Mr Burnham also declared a £150 pair of tickets for an Ed Sheeran concert at the stadium in May 2018.
The GMCA statement, published on Monday, says Mr Burnham had "a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government's Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade" in October 2021. It says he "was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions", including Vincent Kompany's testimonial in September 2019, "where he met the Chairman informally in the stands". The statement adds: "These have been declared in the usual way."
It does not identify the two dinners, the chairman's role as host or the declared values. Downing Street said the dinners were hospitality received at home games, which had been declared, rather than separate meetings with the club chairman. Asked why the statement did not refer to them, the prime minister's press secretary referred back to the GMCA statement, and said the authority's website was a matter for the authority.
The BBC understands it is GMCA policy to publish only entries from the current mayoral term, though it notes the website carries entries dating back to 2022 while the current term began in 2024. The authority has not explained when or why the earlier register was removed.
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew asked Mr Burnham: "So will he tell the House, did anyone associated with the running of Manchester City Football Club raise the charges they were facing, and have now been found guilty of, either with him or any member of his team?"
Mr Burnham replied: "They did not raise those issues with me." He added: "I'm very happy, Mr Speaker, for everything to be set out in full." He said the statement "was published on Monday, and it includes the issues in the news today".
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, later said: "I don't think his carefully worded answer to (Mr Mayhew) is going to suffice." Louie French, the shadow sports minister, said: "Andy Burnham promised the country and House of Commons full transparency on his dealings with Manchester City." Robert Jenrick, of Reform UK, accused Mr Burnham of having apparently "concealed his extensive links to Man City's owners".
Mr Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester from May 2017 until June 2026. The register entries show declared hospitality, and no one named in them is accused of acting unlawfully.
Manchester City deny wrongdoing and have appealed against the Commission's findings. The Premier League has said sanctions will be addressed at a separate hearing, and that the appeal hearing will remain private.
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