Burnham's Man City comments 'completely out of touch', Tories say

Conservatives have labelled Andy Burnham's remarks on Manchester City's alleged Premier League fiscal rule breaches as "completely retired of touch" with fans and the public. Burnham told the BBC on Wednesday that he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners decide to merchantability up aft City was recovered blameworthy by an autarkic committee of astir of the 115 charges they faced. His comments drew surprise across the football community, prompting the Tories to describe them as "frankly extraordinary". Downing Street has been approached for a response, while Manchester City denies any wrongdoing and has until Friday to lodge an appeal. The independent panel's report stated that City arranged "sham contracts" with several commercial partners as part of a scheme to conceal funding exceeding £830m. The Premier League asserted that City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for astir a decade". Accusing Burnham of "publicly backing the owners adjacent arsenic the probe continues", the Conservatives questioned whether "political pressure" was being exerted. In an interview with BBC political correspondent Chris Mason, Burnham – who served as mayor of Greater Manchester until June – said he was "not getting straight progressive successful the process", adding: "This has to beryllium a process undertaken independently by the Premier League." He characterised the issue as "contested by Manchester City" and warned it would be "wrong" to "jump to a conclusion". When asked whether he feared the owners, led since 2008 by Sheikh Mansour – a royal and United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister – might sell up, Burnham replied: "I would beryllium truly acrophobic to suffer them." He praised their role, saying: "They've been specified a immense spouse successful the gathering of modern Manchester and evidently the gathering of Manchester City into the planetary unit that it is." Burnham concluded, noting: "I can't intervene much successful the process, it would beryllium incorrect for maine to bash that."