Labour politicians have accepted just under £300,000 in freebies from the United Arab Emirates and the Middle Eastern state's Premier League football club, Manchester City, an investigation has found. The party's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, enjoyed an £840 VIP ticket to a game, the Sun revealed. The club was found guilty by an independent panel of 114 out of 115 charges after an investigation into its finances.
Details of the freebies
Sheikh Mansour, Vice President of the UAE, bought City in 2008. Records show Labour MPs accepted about £275,000 in trips offered by the Arab nation. They were also given £14,000 worth of tickets and hospitality from Manchester City.
Ms Powell, who was brought back into the Cabinet by Andy Burnham — the former Mayor of Greater Manchester — is the MP for Manchester Central, the constituency that City’s Etihad Stadium is located in. She accepted free tickets to five matches over 11 months, worth £2,360.
Other MPs and their tickets
Andrew Western, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston, went to four matches, including two VIP tickets to the Community Shield match at Wembley in 2024, which were worth £880. The MP for Manchester Withington, Jeff Smith, went to see City four times — including the FA Cup Final in 2024. His ticket was worth £1,798. Sir Keir Starmer got a £900 ticket to watch City face his team, Arsenal, in March 2024.
William Yarwood, Campaigns Director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told the Sun: “Taxpayers will be concerned to hear that politicians are receiving gifts that may lead to conflicts of interest. Against the backdrop of ongoing scrutiny of UAE-backed Manchester City, politicians dining at the club’s expense raises serious questions about foreign influence and transparency.
"Politicians who are elected to serve taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of integrity and avoid any conflicts of interest.”
Broader context and party response
Labour is not the only party to have accepted freebies, as, since 2012, the UAE has spent £467,000 on at least 78 entries into MPs’ Register of Interests. Mr Burnham's party recorded £275,000 for 25 MPs. The SNP recorded £15,000 across four entries, the Liberal Democrats £3,500 and Reform UK £1,000.
City coach Enzo Maresca insisted the club's titles had not been tainted as he stated his unwavering trust in the club today. The Italian said he is confident City will win its appeal. Maresca did not fully commit to remaining at the Etihad Stadium should the appeal fail, but stressed he was not looking that far ahead. “The reason why I joined this club is because I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, the whole organisation,” he said.
"I don’t have any doubt about that. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I am very happy to be here, I am very proud, as I’ve said since day one. I would like to speak about this situation when we are going to win the appeal. I completely trust the club in this moment, in the future, always.”
