Lib Dems demand Burnham disclose all meetings with Man City's Abu Dhabi owners after guilty verdict

The Liberal Democrats have formally demanded that Prime Minister Andy Burnham disclose all meetings with Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) owners and declare any hospitality accepted at the Etihad Stadium, following his widely condemned response to the club’s guilty verdict on 114 Premier League financial rule breaches.

Burnham drew sharp criticism earlier this week after describing City’s Abu Dhabi owners as “a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester” and saying he would be “really concerned” if they sold the club in the wake of the independent commission’s findings. Downing Street was forced to issue two separate clarifications on Thursday, with a spokesperson insisting the verdict was “serious”.

In a strongly-worded letter to the prime minister, Lib Dem culture, media and sport spokesperson Anna Sabine wrote that it was “extraordinary that a prime minister would use his position to call into question the findings of the independent investigation, and risk undermining trust in the Premier League’s processes.” The letter noted that the commission found City had used “sham contracts” and schemes to disguise more than £830m of funding across nearly a decade.

Sabine told the Guardian she intends to write to both Downing Street and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to demand full details of their meetings with ADUG. “Football fans up and down the country deserve to know that the rules apply,” she said.

Shadow sports minister Louie French also weighed in, calling on the government to “keep politics out of football”. The case is yet to proceed to an appeal board and a sanctions hearing, meaning the full consequences for Manchester City remain to be determined.

Sabine’s letter also pointed to the broader context of football governance, noting that Fifa’s conduct around the World Cup had “already raised serious questions about integrity in the game we love,” and arguing that the prime minister should be standing up for the sport’s rules rather than appearing to side with a club found guilty of breaking them.