A senior City Football Group (CFG) official, Chris Anderson, has stated he attended the recent Labour Party conference in Liverpool in a personal capacity. This attendance came days after Manchester City, owned by CFG, was found guilty of over 100 Premier League charges.
Anderson, who is the head of regulatory affairs at CFG, was among the delegates at the four-day conference. He clarified, "There were no registered City Football Group delegates at the 2026 Labour Party conference. I am a Labour Party member and activist (Manchester Central CLP)." He added that he attended "in this capacity, as I have for the previous three Labour party conferences," and did not attend any meetings on behalf of CFG.
The attendance has drawn scrutiny, particularly given Prime Minister Andy Burnham's previous comments expressing concern if punishment of Manchester City led to the club's sale. Liberal Democrat spokesperson for sport, Anna Sabine, called for Burnham to publish details of all meetings and interactions involving CFG or its representatives.
Anderson joined CFG in 2022, having previously headed the Tracey Crouch Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, which led to the creation of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). The IFR has powers to address improper ownership, including potential club sales or prison sentences.