Whitehall infighting could hamper scrutiny of Telegraph sale

A Whitehall battle over the sale of the Telegraph newspapers could break out owing to a power vacuum created by the absence of the cabinet secretary, the Guardian understands.

Efforts by the culture department to investigate an Abu Dhabi-backed bid for the newspaper group risk being steamrolled by the Foreign Office, which is eager to bolster Britain’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, sources said.

Senior figures at the Foreign Office…