Foreign governments should not be allowed to own UK media firms, say two thirds of voters

Two thirds of voters believe that foreign governments should not be able to own UK media organisations, an opinion poll has found.

The survey of 5,299 adults by Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory donor-turned-pollster, posed the question as the United Arab Emirates-backed takeover of The Telegraph hangs in the balance.

Respondents were told about the Telegraph bid and asked “whether foreign governments should be involved in the ownership of UK media outlets”.

Some 66 per cent of those polled agreed that “foreign governments should not be allowed to own UK media outlets, directly or indirectly”.

Opposition highest among Tory voters

In contrast, 14 per cent of respondents said that it should be allowed as long as the owners do not influence what the outlets publish or broadcast, while 5 per cent said there was “no problem” with the arrangement. The rest selected the “don’t know” option.

A breakdown of responses by how people voted at the last general election revealed that opposition to foreign government ownership was highest among Tory voters, at 76 per cent.

RedBird IMI, a fund that is 75 per cent financed by the UAE, is trying to gain control of The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator magazine.

The result of investigations into the bid by Ofcom, the media regulator, and the Competition and Markets Authority have now been handed to the Culture Department, with no decisions yet announced.

But government ministers have been considering an intervention on Wednesday to head off an amendment from a Tory peer seeking to give Parliament a veto on foreign state ownership.

Takeover amendment tabled

Baroness Stowell, the Tory chairman of the Communications and Digital Committee, has tabled an amendment to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill.

It would require both the House of Commons and the House of Lords to approve any proposed foreign state takeover of a UK newspaper before it were allowed to go ahead.

However, government ministers are understood to be looking at proposing their own law change on Wednesday.

Parliament veto

One option which has been drawn up would see the law changed to make foreign state ownership of UK media firms much more difficult. Another would bring in a Parliament veto.

Wrangling between ministers, officials and Lady Stowell was said to be continuing on Tuesday night.

If the Government promises a new amendment in Wednesday’s debate it will be possible for the exact wording to be laid at the Bill’s third reading, which is not usually allowed.

It is understood that the government amendment, if announced, would be attached to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill but apply to the existing Enterprise Act.

Protect editorial independence

Both sides were being tight-lipped on behind-the-scenes negotiations on Tuesday. Should a compromise be reached, it will likely be announced in the Lords on Wednesday afternoon.

MPs from across the aisle have raised the alarm about the implications of The Telegraph being majority-owned by Abu Dhabi, with some raising press freedom concerns.

Any government law change making it harder for foreign state ownership of UK newspapers is expected to apply to any deal not yet passed, meaning it could impact the Telegraph sale.

RedBird IMI has pledged to protect editorial independence with legally binding undertakings that the UAE will be a passive investor only and that management of The Telegraph will be the sole responsibility of RedBird, the US private equity firm providing a quarter of the purchase price.