Cameron must play no role in Telegraph sale, Farage tells Sunak

Nigel Farage has urged Rishi Sunak to ensure that David Cameron plays no role in the sale of The Telegraph because of his ties to Abu Dhabi.

Lord Cameron, recently brought back into the Government as Foreign Secretary, has lectured as a visiting professor at New York University’s campus in the United Arab Emirates capital.

The Telegraph is subject to a takeover bid by RedBird IMI, a company funded by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE vice-president.

However, it emerged last month that the Foreign Office had intervened to “soften” the language in a Government letter about the attempted takeover, and No 10 has not revealed whether Lord Cameron will recuse himself from the issue.

Mr Farage, the former Brexit Party leader who is now the honorary president of Reform UK, said Mr Sunak must keep Lord Cameron away from any discussions on the sale.

Writing for The Telegraph, he said Lord Cameron could not claim to be “objective”, adding: “Given his links to the UAE, including his recent role as lecturer in politics at New York University’s Abu Dhabi operation, which is bankrolled by the UAE, he can hardly claim to be an objective player in this matter.

“Equally worrying are the reports that Foreign Office officials last month watered down the language used in a letter written by Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary – who has set up a public interest investigation into the takeover – to the bidders. They must have been concerned the original version might have offended the Sheikh [Mansour].

“If Rishi Sunak has any sense, he will keep the accident-prone David Cameron well away from any more accusations of sleaze.”

Lord Cameron took a three-week role lecturing in politics at New York University’s Abu Dhabi operation in January. The campus is completely funded by the UAE government.

Details of the role were published on Thursday by Rishi Sunak’s ethics adviser in a list of ministerial interests, but the list did not reveal how much Lord Cameron was paid.

Ms Frazer has triggered a public interest intervention notice over the Telegraph takeover, which requires scrutiny of the proposed sale on freedom of expression grounds.

But it emerged that the letter she sent to RedBird IMI was “softened” following the Foreign Office intervention. It is understood officials were worried that the language could offend the UAE ahead of a London summit for foreign investors and Mr Sunak’s recent trip to the Gulf for the Cop28 climate conference.

In his article, Mr Farage said he was “deeply uncomfortable” that the United Arab Emirates may “take over” the Telegraph titles and The Spectator.

“As the UAE is an absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record, it seems fanciful that it would take jokes or questions in the spirit that runs through the British press,” he said.

“Would Sheikh Mansour, the vice-president of the UAE and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, allow one of his relatives to be caricatured in a Telegraph cartoon?

“What would he do if The Telegraph’s investigations unit began inquiring into a UAE-owned company? Or if a Spectator columnist criticised the UAE’s attitude towards homosexuality? Does anybody really want to find out the answers to these questions?

“The Telegraph titles, like The Spectator, are a precious piece of the fabric of British public life. Independence is their hallmark. It is unthinkable that a Tory government would even consider allowing these assets to fall into the wrong hands on its watch – or that it would encourage the importation of attitudes which run counter to one of the cornerstones of our democracy.

“Sense must prevail. Or else this country, not just the media, is in deep trouble.”

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