How Abu Dhabi bought Andy Burnham’s Manchester - podcast

Why did Andy Burnham recently intervene to defend Manchester City’s beleaguered Abu Dhabi owners, days after they were found guilty of one of the biggest cheating scandals in British sporting history?Today in Focus presenter and city resident Helen Pidd walks through modern Manchester – where Burnham was mayor for nearly a decade – and charts its transformation wrought by Emirati money.Helen talks to North of England editor Josh Halliday too about how Abu Dhabi came to Manchester, alleged “sweetheart deals” it struck to own so much land, and a lack of transparency about it all even now.Who ultimately has benefited from the UAE’s investment in Manchester? And, as the prime minister is keen to export his model of “Manchesterism” all across the country, what does it tell us about Burnham’s time as mayor?The Sheffield University research referenced in the episode can be found here. Illustration: Anaïs Mims/Getty