Sir Keir Starmer spoke out about the sale of the newspaper brand during his visit to Estonia. Photo: Labor
Sir Keir Starmer has backed the Culture Secretary's decision to consider a proposed takeover of The Telegraph with Abu Dhabi's support.
The Labor leader said Lucy Fraser was “right” to stop RedBird IMI from taking control of the newspaper so ministers could study the deal despite concerns about censorship and foreign state ownership.
RedBird IMI is a joint venture between US private equity firm RedBird and International Media Investments (IMI), an Abu Dhabi company backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
Sheikh Mansour also owns Manchester City. and is vice-president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has raised concerns about the regime's record on freedom of speech and women's rights.
When asked about the future by The Telegraph during a visit to Estonia, Sir Keir said GB News: “I think the government is looking into this at the moment and I think they are right to do so. And we will wait to see what the outcome of this process will be.”
IMI will provide 75 per cent of the £600 million price for The Telegraph and The Spectator, its sister publication and oldest weekly magazine. in the world.
There are no guarantees of editorial independence.
The proposal itself is being put forward by Jeff Zucker, the former head of the liberal US news network CNN, who has vowed he would resign if Abu Dhabi intervened. with newspaper independence.
It comes after senior Conservative MPs, including three government ministers, told The Telegraph they oppose the sale of the RedBird newspaper to IMI.
One of the ministers alleged the involvement of the UAE, where posting materials is illegal. online criticizing the government, or photographing some government buildings – this would mean that “no guarantee of editorial independence is worth the paper it is written on.”
“It is fundamentally wrong for an autocratic regime to control one of its leading organs.” freedom of speech in a liberal democracy,” they said.
Another leader added: “It is vital that such an important part of the democratic life of this country remains free from any potential – or for that matter perceived – political influence.”
And the Third Minister also expressed alarm at over Abu Dhabi's reputation and said they were “deeply suspicious” of The Telegraph's future if the sale went ahead.
National security concerns
On Thursday, Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Andy Carter, chair of the All Party Media Group of MPs, which seeks to promote press freedom, also expressed their opposition to the takeover.
“As we battle a rising tide of disinformation “It is vital to protect the vibrant media landscape and, above all, the editorial independence of our leading newspapers,” Ms Kearns said.
“Along with colleagues, I have asked the Deputy Prime Minister to use his powers to review a potential deal involving The Telegraph and The Spectator involving Lloyds Bank, the Barclay family and RedBird IMI, for reasons of our national security.”
She added that she plans to meet with those involved in the attempts to buy The Telegraph and The Spectator to discuss their concerns.
Mr Carter said: “The cornerstone of our democracy is a free press. I'm not sure that a newspaper that is effectively controlled by a foreign government is in the interests of the British people.”
He said he was “very supportive” of Ms Fraser's decision to block the sale and insisted on the need for “accurate reporting of news and free expression.”
“Simply because someone has money, ” This does not mean they pass the test as “fit and proper persons” to control a key part of the British media, Mr Carter added.
Senior journalists, including Camilla Tominey, assistant editor of The Telegraph, and Janet Daly, a Sunday Telegraph columnist since 1996, has sounded the alarm in recent weeks about discrimination against women in the UAE.
Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, previously called on ministers to block the takeover. per month, claiming it poses a “serious security issue”.
Many of our readers have raised concerns about Telegraph Media Group's potential sale to Abu Dhabi-linked Redbird IMI. While Ofcom conducts its investigation, we invite you to comment on the process. To have your say, email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk.
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