Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025

Debate between Lord Robertson of Port Ellen and Lord Alton of Liverpool

Tuesday 22nd July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Lab)]

My Lords, last year I went to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport with the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, in a small delegation to make representations about the lack of any regulation at that time to prevent foreign Governments buying stakes in British newspapers. In the subsequent debate I certainly supported her view, and I liked very much what she has said today. The consultation may well have produced only four newspaper contingents giving their views, but a lot of other people have given a lot of thought to it in the meantime, as I have.

The question for the House today is whether we accept the compromise of 15%, higher than 5% but lower than the 25% that would have given the statutory controls, or go for a fatal amendment, getting close to what would be regarded as the edges of the constitution. I think that the Government have given a fair account, and I have discussed it and debated it at the same time. I have changed my mind. I think the safeguards that are available and the 15% are reasonable, and I believe we should therefore vote against the fatal amendment.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, I hope to be able to persuade the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, who knows that I have enormous respect for him, that the safeguards are not good enough and that he should reconsider before we get to a vote on this amendment. The noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, at the end of his remarks, commented about Fraser Nelson’s article this morning. It is a long article, but I will just read a sentence from it:

“But the Emiratis and others are using their state investment vehicles as levers of political power”.


That is the democratic threat. It is one that Parliament has protected us from, but that protection is now compromised.

That is why we are here today. None of us speaking in this debate wants eagerly to support a fatal amendment. I, the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, and others have not supported fatal amendments on any kind of regular basis, but this is an extraordinary set of regulations that we are being asked to approve and these are extraordinary times. I agree with the noble Lords, Lord Forsyth, Lord Fox and Lord Clement-Jones, and others who have expressed opinions outside your Lordships’ Chamber, including the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy of The Shaws, and the noble Lord, Lord Blencathra, and I have arrived at the same conclusion, albeit reluctantly.