A coalition of nine organisations focused on human rights and freedom of expression have urged the British culture secretary to halt RedBird Capital’s proposed £500m acquisition of the Telegraph. They have also called for an examination of the US private equity firm’s connections to China, arguing that these ties pose a threat to media diversity, transparency, and the integrity of information in the UK. An agreement was reached in May for RedBird Capital to purchase the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, resolving two years of uncertainty over the titles’ future.
The organisations contend that RedBird Capital’s chairman, John Thornton, holds positions in institutions that facilitate China’s financial influence abroad. Specifically, he serves on the advisory council of the China Investment Corporation, China’s sovereign wealth fund, and previously chaired the Silk Road Finance Corporation. The signatories of the letter, which include Hong Kong Watch and Human Rights Watch, advised the secretary, Lisa Nandy, to follow the precedent set by her predecessor, Lucy Frazer, who issued a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) in January of last year.
RedBird Capital, which already injects 25% of the funding into the RedBird IMI joint venture controlling the Telegraph, is currently in the process of buying out its partner, IMI. IMI is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, and might retain a stake of up to 15% in the Telegraph under RedBird Capital’s proposal. The signatories recommend that Nandy issue the relevant notices to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom, ensuring that these investigations consult with experts in Chinese foreign meddling and media subjects.
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and independent peer David Alton have also written to Nandy. They are concerned about reports of a £5.3m cut to the Telegraph’s editorial budget, which they believe constitutes a structural change not permissible during a takeover process, violating the conditions of the government’s 2024 public interest merger reference. A spokesperson for the Telegraph Media Group has stated that standard management and governance protocols are being adhered to during this process.
RedBird Capital denies any Chinese influence in its operations and has been pressing for the deal to be finalised, arguing that it is time for the takeover to be completed after a prolonged period in “regulatory limbo” and that their investment will support the Telegraph’s growth. The government has not commented on the matter.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/aug/13/ngo-urge-nandy-halt-sale-telegraph-china-links
