Freedom of speech is important, says Rishi Sunak in first comments on Telegraph sale

Rishi Sunak says having a “competitive media sector is important for our democracy”; Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The Prime Minister said a “free press and competitive media sector” was vital as he commented on the prospect of selling The Daily Telegraph to a group partly funded by the United Arab Emirates' ruling family.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Rishi Sunak was asked whether he was comfortable with the proposed sale of The Telegraph to RedBird IMI.

He responded: “Having a free press and a competitive media sector is important to our democracy.”

“The Secretary of State has a responsibility to intervene in media matters when there is a public interest in doing so. There is a very clear process that it follows, a statutory legal process, and it would be wrong for me to comment on that beyond the scope of the general question.»

Redbird IMI is a partially US-based fund. backed by Sheikh Mansour, the UAE's deputy prime minister and owner of Manchester City football club.

'A scandalous interference with press freedom'

Mr Sunak's comments came after Lucy Fraser said she was «committed to » begin review of sale.

The Culture Minister said she would do so on grounds of protecting “free expression” and “accurate reporting of news” by issuing a public interest intervention notice.

Mr Sunak refused to respond to the claims. that senior Foreign Office figures tried to «tone down» the letter Ms Fraser sent to RedBird IMI for fear of offending the UAE, including Abu Dhabi.

Lord Moore, former editor of The Telegraph magazine, led the criticism planned takeover, calling the newspaper a «great British institution» that should not be «nationalized» — especially by a government that does not value press freedom.

Lord Moore told the BBC: “The problem, to put it bluntly, is that The Daily Telegraph and its other publications will be nationalized. And if we tried to nationalize a newspaper in this country, any newspaper, any national newspaper, it would be considered a scandalous interference with the freedom of the press.

“Allowing a foreign government that does not actually have freedom of the press and autocracy — owning it would be incompatible with freedom of the press.

“It seems strange to me… that a free newspaper in a free country, a very important national publication and a very important magazine, including The Spectator, should fall into such hands.

“And I don’t blame the royal family of Abu- Dabi for trying, but I would really blame the government if they allowed it.»

No 10 denies claim of IMI meeting

Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator, said: «I'm sad to see us in such an awkward situation , but here we are.

“I mean, there's a whole range of ownership options that may work well or may work poorly. I have no idea.»

Number 10 denied The Times' claims that Mr Sunak is expected to meet Dr Sultan Al Jaber, chairman of IMI, which funds RedBird IMI, during his visit to the COP climate conference. change conference on Friday. The oil executive is also the UAE-appointed president of COP28.

Downing Street said the prime minister had no plans to hold a bilateral meeting with Al Jaber and said that if they did meet, he will not discuss the deal.