The Government have told an MP they won't intervene in the Saudi-backed takeover bid of Newcastle United.
Angus MacNeil, chair of the International Trade Select Committee, wrote to the Secretary of International Trade, Liz Truss, urging the government to intervene in the deal as Saudi Arabia should have 'no role' in UK Sport.
In a letter he wrote to Truss last week, seen by Chronicle Live, MacNeil labels the actions of the Saudi government as an 'insult' to the UK as well as:
- Labelling Saudi Arabia's reaction to the WTO report as 'appalling'
- Criticising the Government who, in his view, have 'actively avoided' the issue
- Calling for an investigation into beoutQ before the Public Investment Fund can complete the takeover
However, in a letter that has been seen by Mail Online, Truss told MacNeil that the £300million deal for Newcastle United is a matter for the Premier League.
Truss also stated that beoutQ operations have ceased in Saudi Arabia and told MacNeil the takeover bid is 'a commercial matter for those parties and the Premier League... it is not for the Government to intervene in the buying and selling of football clubs'.
PCP Capital Partners' takeover bid, spearheaded by financier Amanda Staveley and also involving the Reuben brothers, Simon and David, is backed by the mega-rich Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and continues to await Premier League approval.
