‘He's coming across as a jaundiced football fan when really he’s PM now’

“The job of the council is very clear. We don't do foreign policy or negotiate with other governments. Our job is to do the best we can for the people of Manchester.”

That’s what former Manchester City Council (MCC) leader Richard Leese said when asked if the authority had considered Abu Dhabi's human-rights record before signing the Manchester Life deal.

That joint venture between the council and Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) has delivered more than 1,800 homes across nine parcels of land in Ancoats and New Islington, with a further 256 in the pipeline. But decades on, questions are once again swirling about whether it was really for the good of the city. In the latest episode of The Mancunian Way podcast, reporters Declan Carey and John Scheerhout tell host Beth Abbit about their special report into the deal that changed Manchester.

Led by Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams, they have examined 900 pages of documents relating to controversial land deals between Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners and the council. The investigation tells the full story of the land deals, public money and the influence of City’s owners.

“I’m 900 pages deep and it’s showing,” says Declan, during the 30 minute episode, which you can view here.

The episode delves into a ‘misstep’ by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a robust response from the new Greater Manchester mayor and what Ancoats locals, old and new, think about the sprawling development cropping up around them.

As the investigation explains, the story was supercharged when Mr Burnham said he was “really concerned” at the prospect of ADUG deciding to pull the plug on plans to invest billions more in the UK if Manchester City’s ongoing appeal against a Premier League ruling fails.

During the episode John says it was a statement that was more akin to a Greater Manchester mayor than a Prime Minister. “I think basically he should have kept his mouth shut,” he says.

“It implied that he was supporting Manchester City in its battle with the Premier League and the independent commission. So he's basically written himself into the story by saying that kind of thing.

“He’s also talking like an Everton football fan. I think Everton have had their own problems with financial fair play. He's coming across as a jaundiced football fan/mayor when really he’s the Prime Minister now and he should perhaps have understood that you've got to be a bit more even handed and perhaps understand that there may be a really damning verdict.”

Declan also discusses his interview with mayor Bev Craig this week in which she said the intense coverage of Manchester’s relationship with Abu Dhabi has been used to make ‘cheap shots’ against the Prime Minister and ‘bash’ the city.

“As mayor going forward she said she would be fully transparent about any deals going forward,” he says. “So reading between the lines I think there has been a shift over time in how these deals are done. I think figures in Greater Manchester are aware of the level of national scrutiny that’s coming.”

John also discusses his interview with Sir Richard Leese, during which he asked if Abu Dhabi's human rights record had been considered before the Manchester Life deal was signed.

“He was very clear. He said he wasn't and it's really not the business of local councils to consider it,” says John. “It's for government to do foreign policy.

“For him it was just a matter of ‘was it a good deal for Manchester or not?’ And the morality of it - that's for other people, governments to decide.”

John also spoke to an expert at the University of Sussex, who told him the “core rationale” for the Emirati purchase of Manchester City was likely to deepen and strengthen UAE ties with the UK.

“It's a really interesting perspective,” says John. “He made the point that for Abu Dhabi United Group, it's not perhaps just a matter of investing in Manchester City Football Club or Manchester, per say. It's about soft power. It's about influence. It's about having your position on the world stage ensured through one means or another.”

You can watch all the Mancunian Way episodes here and listen each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.