Britain’s culture minister Lisa Nandy said on Thursday she had decided to intervene in the proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group by the owner of the Daily Mail, on public interest and competition grounds.
Nandy said in a statement that she had issued a public interest intervention notice due to concerns that the acquisition warranted further investigation.
The proposed 500-million-pound ($682 million) purchase would bring the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers under the same umbrella as the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Metro and The i Paper.
Daily Mail Group previously said the Telegraph would remain editorially independent.
Nandy’s decision sends the deal to Britain’s media regulator Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority to examine media plurality and competition issues. Both must report back to Nandy by June 10.
Daily Mail Group already controls 50.62% of Britain’s daily national newspaper market. The Daily Telegraph accounts for 5.52% of daily circulation. If the deal is approved, Daily Mail’s share would rise to 56.14%.
Nandy’s decision marks the latest chapter in a long-running saga that has left the right-leaning broadsheet without a stable owner since 2023. Daily Mail Group argues its acquisition would provide long-term certainty and investment for the titles while keeping their editorial teams independent.
