Key facts
- Ofcom investigated RedBird IMI's bid for The Telegraph as a potential threat to press freedom.
- The UAE has threatened to withdraw billions of pounds of investment from the UK.
- The Telegraph was eventually sold to Axel Springer for £575 million.
The UK government has again delayed the release of a critical report by media regulator Ofcom concerning the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) failed bid for The Telegraph newspaper. The report, which investigated the bid by RedBird IMI as a potential threat to press freedom, was handed to the government in March 2024 but has yet to be published.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's department has refused requests to release the findings, citing only that it would be published "shortly." This further delay has fueled speculation that the government is attempting to avoid potential embarrassment for UAE rulers, particularly amid ongoing anger from the Gulf state over the Premier League's investigation into Manchester City. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Emirati royal, is linked to both Manchester City and RedBird IMI.
The UAE has reportedly threatened to withdraw billions of pounds of investment from the UK following the Premier League's verdict on Manchester City's financial rules breaches. The Telegraph takeover saga itself previously triggered a diplomatic row and economic threats. The government intervened in RedBird IMI's bid in late 2023, leading to Ofcom's investigation. While the report's contents are private, former culture secretary Lucy Frazer indicated Ofcom found evidence suggesting IMI's "propensity to exercise influence to curtail freedom of expression." RedBird IMI's bid was ultimately blocked by new laws banning foreign state ownership of British newspapers, and The Telegraph was subsequently sold to German publisher Axel Springer for £575 million.