The Manchester Life joint venture between Manchester City Council and Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) has delivered more than 1,800 homes across nine parcels of land in Ancoats and New Islington, with a further 256 in the pipeline. Decades on, questions are again being asked about whether the deal was truly for the good of the city.
In the latest episode of The Mancunian Way podcast, reporters Declan Carey and John Scheerhout tell host Beth Abbit about their special report into the deal that changed Manchester. Led by Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams, they examined 900 pages of documents relating to controversial land deals between Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners and the council.
Investigation into Land Deals
“I’m 900 pages deep and it’s showing,” says Declan, during the 30-minute episode. The investigation tells the full story of the land deals, public money, and the influence of City's owners.
The episode also delves into a ‘misstep’ by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a robust response from the new Greater Manchester mayor, and what Ancoats locals, old and new, think about the sprawling development cropping up around them.
Burnham's Comments Criticised
As the investigation explains, the story was supercharged when Mr Burnham said he was “really concerned” at the prospect of ADUG deciding to pull the plug on plans to invest billions more in the UK if Manchester City's ongoing appeal against a Premier League ruling fails.
During the episode, John says it was a statement more akin to a Greater Manchester mayor than a Prime Minister. “I think basically he should have kept his mouth shut,” he says. “It implied that he was supporting Manchester City in its battle with the Premier League and the independent commission. So he's basically written himself into the story by saying that kind of thing.”
Mayor's Response and Future Transparency
Declan also discusses his interview with mayor Bev Craig this week, in which she said the intense coverage of Manchester's relationship with Abu Dhabi has been used to make ‘cheap shots’ against the Prime Minister and ‘bash’ the city.
“As mayor going forward she said she would be fully transparent about any deals going forward,” he says. “So reading between the lines I think there has been a shift over time in how these deals are done. I think figures in Greater Manchester are aware of the level of national scrutiny that’s coming.”
Human Rights Record and Soft Power
John also discusses his interview with Sir Richard Leese, during which he asked if Abu Dhabi's human rights record had been considered before the Manchester Life deal was signed. “He was very clear. He said he wasn't and it's really not the business of local councils to consider it,” says John. “It's for government to do foreign policy. For him it was just a matter of ‘was it a good deal for Manchester or not?’ And the morality of that - it's for other people, governments to decide.”
John also spoke to an expert at the University of Sussex, who told him the “core rationale” for the Emirati purchase of Manchester City was likely to deepen and strengthen UAE ties with the UK. “He made the point that for Abu Dhabi United Group, it's not perhaps just a matter of investing in Manchester City Football Club or Manchester, per se. It's about soft power. It's about influence. It's about having your position on the world stage ensured through one means or another.”
The Mancunian Way episodes can be watched online and listened to each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
