Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham says he believes no-one completely comfortable about a potential takeover of Manchester United by Qatari banker and royal Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Andy Burnham was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017, and was re-elected for a second term in May 2021.
Prior to being Mayor, Burnham was MP for Leigh from 2001. He also held Ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury.
The Everton support believes issues over Qatar’s human rights record after “for the UK government”, with United up for sale since November 2022.
“These are questions that everyone’s having to embrace in this Premier League era,” Burnham told Global’s The News Agents podcast when asked about the prospect of Qatari ownership of United.
“I don’t think anyone feels completely comfortable about it and I’m going to be really clear about that.
“But the Premier League has kind of moved into a place where, is all the money clean in any Premier League club? There’s associations with regimes around the world. That’s how it is now, isn’t it?
“Obviously, we don’t have an outcome yet with regards to the ownership of Manchester United. I think there’s a lot of people in this city would tell you there’s a lot wrong with the current ownership regime there, in terms of the money that’s been taken out of Manchester United over the last decade or so.”
“I don’t think anyone feels completely comfortable about Man United being owned by Qatar, but the Premier League has moved to a place where you ask if money is clean in any club?”@Globalplayerhttps://t.co/SdyBDl7qyY@lewis_goodall | @AndyBurnhamGM pic.twitter.com/L4KZvP2y51
— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) July 28, 2023
Sheikh Jassim’s bid is being rivalled by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. But the potential sale from the Glazer family to one of those parties is dragging on.
In the media, Qatar’s record for human rights won’t go away. And right so with issues including workers’ rights, women’s rights and the illegality of homosexuality. All of this came under the spotlight during the 2022 World Cup.
Burnham was also asked whether he had questions or felt uneasy about the prospect of Qatari ownership, given the country’s human right record.
“I think there’s a differentiation, isn’t there?” Burnham said.
“You can’t solve those issues from here, can you? Those are issues for the UK government talking to the Qataris. Those human rights issues have to be raised at that level and they were, through the World Cup.
“If they (human rights issues) were so strong, the country (UK) would have to decide as a country to say, ‘This is our relationship with Qatar’.
“The engagement brings the opportunity to have a different dialogue with them about what this city is all about, what we expect in terms of respecting equality, anti-discrimination, human rights across the board.
“Football always creates that opportunity for that type of dialogue between people and it’s one that this city will never shy away from.”
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Like saudi arabia and the UAE
All families owning these countries all with Islamic leaders who rule with terror effectively
No difference between them and past Colonial Pioneers.