Labour politicians have received nearly £300,000 of handouts from Manchester City and the United Arab Emirates.
Pressure is mounting on Andy Burnham after the former Mayor of Greater Manchester said he was “really concerned” to lose City’s owners after the club was found guilty of massive financial cheating last month.
Mr Burnham thanked Sheikh Mansour’s City Football Group for the “money that they didn’t just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city”, but was forced into a U-turn as No10 insisted no club was “above the rules”.
Thousands of pounds in free tickets and hospitality were given to Labour MPs – including VIP seats for deputy leader Lucy Powell.
Foreign trips and luxury junkets were also given by the UAE, the Sun has now revealed.
Labour MPs received £273,396 worth of UAE freebies – more than all other political parties combined.
Between October 2014 and May 2025, Man City handouts – worth more than £25,000 – were given to politicians from all parties.
Labour received £14,000 of those handouts, with over half of the VIP tickets being given to MPs with direct connections to Manchester.
PICTURED: Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Andy Burnham in 2019
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GETTY
Ms Powell, a long-time ally of Mr Burnham, received free tickets to five matches over an 11-month period, worth £2,360.
In March 2024, she received £840 tickets to watch Man City take on Newcastle United at the Etihad from comfortable and cushy VIP seats.
Andrew Western, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston, accepted handouts for four matches, including two VIP hospitality tickets for the Community Shield at Wembley in August 2024 worth £880.
A backbencher at the time of the freebie, Mr Western has since been promoted to Employment Minister by fellow Mancunian Mr Burnham.
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Lucy Powell received free tickets to five matches over an 11-month period, worth £2,360
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PA
Labour MP for Manchester Withingon, Jeff Smith, was a guest of the UAE-backed club on four occasions, including a tickets to the FA Cup Final against rivals Manchester United in May 2024, worth £1,798.
Former Prime Minister and noted Arsenal fan Sir Keir Starmer, who raked in more than £100,000 worth of freebies, received a £900 ticket to watch his beloved Gunners play Man City in March 2024.
While Labour has received the lion’s share of UAE handouts, the charm offensive deployed by the gulf state has extended across the political spectrum.
Since 2012, the Arab nation has splashed out more than £467,000 across at least 78 separate entries into MP’s Register of Interests – an average of nearly £3,000 a month.
Man City and the UAE splashed out more than £467,000 on politicians
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GETTYLabour had 28 entries for 25 individual MPs. The Tories had 43 entries for 38 MPs, worth £174,133.
The SNP, Liberal Democrats, and Reform also received handouts from the UAE, receiving £15,000, £3,500 and £1,000, respectively.
Gulf state donors included the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Tax experts suggested Man City may have avoided paying the HMRC over £12million.
The extensive handouts from the club and UAE “raises serious questions about foreign influence and transparency”, William Yarwood, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance said.
“Politicians who are elected to serve taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of integrity and avoid any conflicts of interest,” he added.
City deny wrongdoing and have lodged a “comprehensive” appeal against the verdict.