Telegraph sale in turmoil after lead bidder linked to China’s politburo

Media group’s own paper publishes photo of RedBird Capital chair with alleged spy ring chief The sale of the Telegraph Media Group has been plunged into fresh turmoil after the company’s own newspaper linked its presumed new owner to the suspected ringleader of the alleged Westminster Chinese spy ring. Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Telegraph published a 2024 photograph of the financier John Thornton shaking hands with Cai Qi, a senior member of the Chinese Communist party’s ruling politburo, raising questions as to whether the British title is being eyed…

NGOs urge Nandy to halt sale of Telegraph over China links

A group of nine human rights and freedom of expression organisations have called on the culture secretary to halt RedBird Capital’s proposed £500m takeover of the Telegraph and investigate the US private equity company’s ties to China. The international non-governmental organisations, which include Index on Censorship, Reporters Without Borders and Article 19, have written to Lisa Nandy arguing that RedBird Capital’s links with China “threaten media pluralism, transparency and information integrity in the UK”. A consortium led by RedBird Capital agreed a deal in May to buy the Daily Telegraph…