A spokesperson for Andy Burnham has insisted the guilty verdict against Manchester City is “serious” after remarks the Prime Minister made about the case on Wednesday raised eyebrows.
Burnham told the BBC on Wednesday he would be “really concerned” if City’s Abu Dhabi owners sold the club in the wake of City being found to have breached the Premier League’s financial rules by an independent commission, crediting them with being “a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester”.
Burnham also appeared to draw parallels between City’s guilty verdict and the handling of a disciplinary case against Everton, the club he supports.
He said he still held the view very firmly that the Toffees were “not fairly treated” and added: “I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and with hindsight I think more people would say that wasn’t fair, the way that was handled.
“So it would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I’d had before becoming Prime Minister.”
Burnham’s comments have drawn criticism on social media and shadow sports minister Louie French called for the Government to “keep politics out of football”, with the case set to proceed to an appeal board and a sanctions hearing.
A No 10 Downing Street spokesman said on Thursday: “As the Prime Minister made clear, the initial judgement is serious and there can’t be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules.
“He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process. It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected.
“Wherever wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.”
Meanwhile, a parliamentary select committee wants answers from the permanent secretary of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) regarding any tax implications of the City case.
The chair of the Treasury Committee, Dame Meg Hillier, has written to JP Marks asking whether he is aware of the commission’s findings, in particular what it said about the use of “sham” arrangements to conceal liabilities to staff.
Hillier also asked Marks whether he had asked for an unredacted copy of the decision published on Tuesday.
“While I acknowledge that taxpayer confidentiality may inhibit what you can disclose, I would welcome reassurance from HMRC that you are seized of the importance of these issues and the public interest in the case,” Hillier wrote.
City are expected to lodge an appeal against the guilty verdict before Friday’s deadline, having claimed the commission’s decision contained “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe”.
