Is There A Double Standard? UK Culture Secretary Defends New Law Thwarting Jeff Zuckers Daily Telegraph Bid [Video]

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer defended the government’s move ​​ban on foreign state majority ownership of British newspapers, motivated by a Tory rebellion that seeks to block the sale of right-wing publications the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator.

The Conservative government plans to implement the change through a legislative amendment to the Digital Markets Bill that would thwart a buy-over by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI, a joint venture between RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments (IMI), linked to the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Good Morning Britain host Ed Balls pressed the politician on whether the government’s legislative manoeuvre was a “double standard” since the same fund has an ownership stake in Manchester City Football Club.

Balls: “The interesting thing is that [Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan], a member of the UAE royal family, owns Manchester City. He gets a tick from you. You’ve also …