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Burnham forced to order fresh 'trawl' of gifts and freebies
Andy Burnham orders manual review of undisclosed gifts after City dealings emerge.
In brief
Andy Burnham orders manual review of undisclosed gifts after City dealings emerge. Andy Burnham ordered a manual review of gifts and hospitality after undisclosed meetings with Manchester City's owners were revealed. Originally reported by Dailymail.
Burnham squirming over City dealings
Andy Burnham left squirming over the true extent of his dealings with Manchester City's bosses.
Prime Minister orders new audit
The Prime Minister has been forced to order a new audit and seemed to admit not all of his meetings with the club's owners may have been published.
Burnham asks GMCA for manual trawl
He revealed he has now asked Greater Manchester Combined Authority to carry out a 'manual trawl' of gifts and hospitality he received when mayor.
Tory spokesman calls for apology
Tory sports spokesman Louie French said: 'The Prime Minister told Parliament that he would publish all of his Man City dealings on Monday afternoon.It didn't happen, and he cannot blame the GMCA for that fact.
Burnham's previous claims
He told one podcast: 'I will quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.'
Burnham's Commons assurance
In the Commons on Monday, he assured MPs: 'All my dealings will be published this afternoon in relation to any meetings with the owners of Manchester City.'
GMCA reveals limited meetings
But then GMCA issued only a brief statement that mentioned one 'formal meeting' Mr Burnham had with City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in 2021, and another occasion in 2019 when the pair met 'informally in…
Deleted register shows more meetings
It was then revealed that a deleted register of gifts and hospitality showed Mr Burnham had, in fact, also enjoyed two hospitality dinners with Mr Al Mubarak in 2017 and 2018, valued at £999 in…
Additional meetings reported
It was reported he also met City's chief executive Ferran Soriano in 2023 and former chief operating officer Roel de Vries last year.
Burnham's transparency claim
During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Burnham said: 'I am very happy for everything to be set out in full.'
Burnham's explanation for dinners
Asked why he hadn't declared the dinners, Mr Burnham insisted: 'No, it was included in the statement. It referenced meetings and hospitality at Manchester City when I was there as a guest.'
Burnham orders more trawl
But he went on: 'I've asked them [GMCA] to do a more manual trawl of everything because I want everything possible to be out there.'
Cover-up stench emerges
The growing stench of a cover-up over Andy Burnham's cosy ties to Man City's disgraced Emirati owner: Deleted declarations, millions in taxpayer-funded loans and mystery meetings.
The takeaway
Andy Burnham ordered a manual review of gifts and hospitality after undisclosed meetings with Manchester City's owners were revealed.
