Tom Watson MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on Karen Bradley’s minded-to decision on the Sky-Fox merger, said:

“This is the first time a Minister in the current Government has ever stood in the way of what the Murdochs want, and frankly it’s about time.

“Karen Bradley has done everything we asked her to do and I welcome her minded-to decision to refer the bid on broadcasting standards grounds as well as on media plurality grounds.

“Unfortunately the Secretary of State’s change of heart today reflects a failure on the part of Ofcom, who incorrectly assessed concerns in their initial statement and even now seem to fail to recognise that the “non-fanciful concerns” they have found demand a reference to the CMA as a matter of law.

“It is now up to the Government to ensure that any CMA investigation is more thorough and detailed than Ofcom’s, and that Ofcom understands the serious concerns raised by their failure to understand the legal requirements and provide accurate advice. They must not get it so wrong again.”