Andy Burnham has asked for a 'manual trawl' of records relating to contact with Manchester City, as he continues to face questions over his relations with the Premier League club during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Prime Minister's request comes after declarations of his contact with City were released this week, but it emerged that records of two dinners with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak were deleted. During his time as mayor, he declared dinners valued at a total of £1,000 for hospitality.
GMCA records under scrutiny
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) mentioned an informal meeting in the stands in 2019 and a formal meeting at the UK Government's Global Investment Summit in 2021, but two dinners were not specified.
Burnham said: "It was included in the statement, it referenced meetings and hospitality at Manchester City when I was there as a guest. It did mention it, it was not prepared by me, it was prepared by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, so it was comprehensive."
He added: "I've asked them to do a more manual trawl because I want everything possible to be out there. There is no question about that full transparency."
City's appeal and regulator's warning
City have appealed the decision by the independent commission which found them guilty of over 100 breaches of Premier League financial regulations. Uncertainty surrounds the future of the club, with the list of sanctions ranging from points deductions to relegations out of the top-flight, and potentially the English Football League (EFL).
Independent Football Regulator David Kogan has warned the PM that he will resign if the government steps in. He said: "Let me be really, really clear about this. You'll be aware that the original legislation brought in by the Conservative Government had in it a reference which we have to take some regard of some British trade relationships. That was removed from the legislation.
"Actually this was specifically discussed when it was going through Parliament so we are absolutely bound by one thing and that one thing is regulating football and regulating football clubs.
"Considerations beyond that are beyond our view and are not going to be part of any decision that we make about any outcome of any club that we regulate.
"Our independence is absolute and my independence personally is absolute. I made it very clear last year that if have any form of Government interference on the way we operate is going to result in me resigning from this role and I stand by that completely.
"I should say, to be crystal clear, we've come under absolutely no political pressure on this or any other topic and I don't expect to in the future. Ministers know full well that we are going to act completely independently."
