Ministers refuse to name companies that lobbied them over foreign ownership of UK newspapers

Revealed: Crossbench peers scrutinising proposed law change say they were told not to share companies involved

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Ministers are refusing to name the media companies that lobbied them over laws restricting foreign state ownership of British newspapers, the Guardian can reveal.

The government announced last month it was tripling the proportion of a British newspaper that could be owned by an overseas power to 15%. The change paves the way for the Telegraph to be bought by a consortium including an investment vehicle backed by the United Arab Emirates.