The government has dealt a blow to the Barclay family’s efforts to strike a deal to transfer control of the Telegraph newspaper and Spectator magazine to a consortium backed by the UAE, after confirming that it is launching an investigation into whether it raises serious public interest concerns.
The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, has issued a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) triggering an in-depth inquiry by Ofcom, the media regulator, into whether the complex deal could breach requirements including the need for accurate presentation of news, free expression of opinion and sufficient plurality of views and persons with control of ownership.
