Newcastle takeover by Saudi Arabia not to be scrutinised by DCMS select committee

A parliamentary committee is going to reject a call from one of its own members for it to scrutinise the planned Saudi Arabia-led takeover of Newcastle United.

Conservative MP Giles Watling wrote to colleagues on the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport select committee asking them to agree to hold an evidence session into piracy claims surrounding the Gulf state.

But The Telegraph has been told Watling’s request is about to be denied as the committee continues to focus on the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the sectors it oversees.

Watling wrote in an email to his colleagues that the issues raised by the Newcastle takeover included “whether the UK Government, by allowing the sale to take place, is taking appropriate action in this instance to protect the value of UK sport, which is both a cultural and commercial asset to the country?”

He added: “I am writing to request that the Committee holds an oral evidence session on the theft of UK sport by the Saudi-based pirate operation beoutQ, which has been stealing and broadcasting every major UK sporting competition for almost three years, including the Premier League. Ideally, this should be with the Secretary of State and representatives from the Premier League.”

The email also argued that the recovery of creative and sporting industries after the coronavirus outbreak would be helped if a solution to the piracy claims was found.

Watling was the second committee member to speak out over the £300 million deal – backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – with the SNP’s John Nicolson having called for the Government to block it on both human-rights and piracy grounds.

The Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, told Nicolson during a select committee hearing last month that ministers would not intervene in the Newcastle takeover if the Premier League approved it.