Telegraph bid ‘could undermine newspaper’s pro-Israel coverage’, ministers hear
A Gulf-state backed Telegraph takeover could be intended to undermine the newspaper’s pro-Israel stance, ministers have heard.
As the Government set out its plans to ban foreign state ownership of newspapers and news magazines, it also faced warnings that Vladimir Putin’s Russia could be among the hostile states aiming to acquire British media organisations if changes were not enacted.
Peers raised concern about the proposed takeover of The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator by Redbird IMI, an investment fund majority-owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and owner of Manchester City Football Club.
Conservative peer Baroness Fleet, a former editor of the London Evening Standard, who also worked in senior roles at the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail, urged ministers to ensure the bid did not go ahead.
“I know that anyone who buys a newspaper wants to influence society, politicans and Government. All proprietors interfere,” said the Tory peer, who was the London Evening Standard’s editor for seven years.
She added: “Importantly, every week the Telegraph has criticised the pro-Palestinian parades through London for their antisemitism.
“The idea that an Arab owner, any Arab owner of the Telegraph or any other newspaper, would allow its editor to support Israel and criticise pro-Palestinian antisemites is an absurd notion.
“I go even further and say that one of the reasons perhaps why a foreign government would want to buy an important newspaper such as the Telegraph would be to promote an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian point of view.”
The Tory peer later claimed that Rupert Murdoch’s News UK group, the owner of the Sun and the Times newspapers, could also be eyed up by foreign state buyers in future if the law were not changed.
She told peers: “If we do not pass this amendment we will send out a signal that, if after Murdoch’s death perhaps, News International is put up for sale, any foreign government is welcome then to buy another chunk of our newspapers.
“Perhaps Qatar or even Russia. We must protect our newspapers from that threat.”
Media minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay told peers the Government is committed to “bringing forward an amendment to this Bill at third reading which prevents foreign state ownership” of the British press.
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