Cameron insists he will play no role in review of UAE-backed Telegraph takeover
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Lord Cameron has said he will play “no role” in a Government review of the UAE-backed takeover of The Telegraph, following questions over his past links to the United Arab Emirates.
The Foreign Secretary said a review of a takeover involving Abu Dhabi was entirely a matter for Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary.
His remarks come after Downing Street published details of the former prime minister’s links to the United Arab Emirates which could have a “bearing on” his role.
Rishi Sunak’s ethics adviser included Mr Cameron’s role as a visiting professor at New York University Abu Dhabi in a list of ministerial interests issued earlier in December.
In 2019, the university said “the government of Abu Dhabi addresses the costs associated with the NYU Abu Dhabi campus”.
The list of ministers’ financial interests was published weeks after it emerged that the Foreign Office intervened to “soften” a government letter about the UAE’s attempted takeover of The Telegraph, which is being examined by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
At the time, the department said: “It is standard practice for the Foreign Office to provide advice to other UK Government departments when engaging with Governments overseas.”
Asked in an interview whether he would have any objection to a foreign state owning a UK newspaper, Lord Cameron said: “I’m not getting into that at all. It’s a quasi-judicial matter for the DCMS Secretary. I will play no role in that at all.”
In November, Ms Frazer intervened to prevent RedBird IMI, a fund backed by Abu Dhabi, taking control of The Telegraph within days amid fears of censorship and foreign state influence.
A series of Tory MPs have raised concerns about the planned takeover, along with the Liberal Democrats and Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6.
In December it emerged that Jeff Zucker, the former CNN chief leading RedBird IMI, had rejected a plan to reduce the share of Abu Dhabi cash behind the takeover and ease concerns over press freedom.
Lord Cameron took a three-week role lecturing in politics at New York University’s Abu Dhabi operation in January.
He taught students on a course about the “age of disruption” with topics including migration and Ukraine, according to state-owned newspaper The National. The list does not reveal how much Lord Cameron was paid.
Analysis of tax returns by student newspaper NYU News in 2019 showed the campus was “completely funded by the Government of the United Arab Emirates”.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests said the criteria for inclusion on his list included “recent previous employment that may be perceived to have a bearing on their ministerial portfolio”.
