Government refers Trinity Mirror's Express deal to regulators

The government has directed regulators to examine whether Trinity Mirror’s £126m purchase of the Express and Star newspapers is in the public interest.

Matt Hancock, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said he had concerns about freedom of expression and editorial decisions as well as media plurality.

Hancock has asked Ofcom, the communications regulator, to report on media aspects of the deal. The Competition and Markets Authority will report on jurisdiction and competition issues.

Both regulators have until 31 May to complete their reports. The CMA was already investigating the deal and will speed up its work to meet the deadline.

“I will then consider whether or not to refer the merger for a more detailed investigation, or whether to accept undertakings-in-lieu of such a reference,” Hancock said in a statement.

Trinity Mirror owns the left of centre Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People as well as Scotland's Daily Record and Sunday Mail. It bought Northern & Shell’s publishing assets from Richard Desmond in March in a deal that brought the right-wing Express and Star newspapers into its fold.

Trinity Mirror’s chief executive Simon Cox has said the deal will not affect the editorial lines of any of the papers. The Guardian is the only other left of centre national newspaper printed in the UK. The Times, Telegraph, Mail and Sun papers all traditionally support the Conservative party. The Financial Times is less steadfastly right-wing but tends to support the Conservatives at elections.