Major warns against Uae-telegraph deal
SIR JOHN MAJOR has said it is not a “good idea” for the United Arab Emirates-backed takeover of The Telegraph to go ahead.
The former prime minister said he did not want newspapers to fall into “autocratic or semi-autocratic hands”.
A number of MPS and peers have warned of the ramifications of the bid for The Telegraph and The Spectator by Redbird IMI, a fund which is 75 per cent financed by the UAE.
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, has triggered a public interest investigation into the sale, citing concerns about the accurate presentation of news and free expression.
Speaking yesterday at Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power summit in London, Sir John said he wanted large national newspapers to be in the hands of “people who understand the British instinct”. He agreed when Andrew Neil, the chairman of The Spectator, said that Gulf State autocracies were trying to buy up soft power by purchasing British football teams and, more recently, media organisations. Mr Neil has said that he would resign as chairman of The Spectator if the “absurd” proposed takeover goes ahead.
“I agree with that analysis,” Sir John said. “I think there’s a degree of ownership of British assets that I’m fairly relaxed [about], if they go into autocratic or semi-autocratic hands. But there is a level beyond which one would not wish to see it happen.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea for them to buy a national newspaper, I really don’t. Not because there is any mistrust of them especially, but because different parts of the world have totally different perceptions of what is
appropriate and what is not.” But Sir John said despite this the UK should maintain as close as possible relations with the Gulf state, saying that over the past 40 years it has “come an awful long way”.
The proposed takeover is in limbo pending an investigation by Ofcom. The media regulator is scheduled to deliver its report to Ms Frazer, who has the power to block the deal, by March 11.
Baroness Stowell, the chairman of the Lords communications and digital committee and a former Conservative cabinet minister, has put forward an amendment to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill that would grant Parliament a veto on foreign state ownership of British news media.
It came after Robert Jenrick, the former housing secretary, warned that freedom of the press was in danger if the takeover went ahead. He called on the Government to back the Stowell amendment.
He said: “If freedom of the press means anything it means the freedom to criticise and oppose and that freedom is in danger if we become the first democracy in the world to allow a foreign government to buy a national newspaper and media organisation.”
Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the Commons, said MPS on all sides of the House supported Mr Jenrick in his fight against the ownership of newspapers by governments. However, she stopped short of giving the Government’s backing to the amendment.
Lady Stowell asked ministers to take the amendment seriously and urged them to meet her to discuss it before it is debated by peers on March 11, the same day as Ofcom is due to deliver its report.