Cross-party group urges Government to back Lords amendment, calling proposed deal a ‘dangerous Rubicon’.

More than 100 MPs have backed powers for Parliament to block the proposed Abu Dhabi takeover of The Telegraph, calling it a “dangerous Rubicon” that must not be crossed.

Led by Robert Jenrick, the former housing secretary, the cross-party group of MPs called on Rishi Sunak to support a Lords amendment that would give MPs and peers a veto on ownership of UK news media by a foreign state.

In a letter to Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, they said: “If major newspaper and media organisations can be purchased by foreign governments, the freedom of the press has the potential to be seriously undermined.

“No other democracy in the world has allowed a media outlet to be controlled by a foreign
government. This is a dangerous Rubicon we should not cross.”

The letter was signed by a string of former Cabinet ministers, including Sir John Redwood,
Therese Coffey, Sir Simon Clarke, Robert Buckland, Stephen Crabb, Sir Iain Duncan Smith,
Theresa Villiers and Sir Geoffrey Cox.

Read more: telegraph.co.uk

Photo: telegraph.co.uk