Sir Iain Duncan Smith has written again to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, demanding she issues a Foreign State Intervention Notice over RedBird’s attempted takeover of The Telegraph. He flags reported links between RedBird’s chairman, John Thornton, and the Chinese state. Last week, nine human rights and freedom of expression groups also called on Nandy to halt the deal and investigate RedBird’s China connections…
The former Tory leader goes on to claim RedBird may have already breached the 2024 Public Interest Merger Order, designed to prevent major management shake-ups or the removal of key staff before approval. He points to The Telegraph’s editorial budget being cut by £5.3 million two weeks ago…
A spokesperson for RedBird said: “There is no Chinese involvement or influence in RedBird Capital’s proposed acquisition of the Telegraph.” Read the letter in full below:
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”