Draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Definition of Newspaper) Order 2025

What happened: The House of Commons voted on 16 July 2025 to approve the Draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Definition of Newspaper) Order 2025, a statutory instrument (a form of secondary legislation made under powers granted by an existing Act) that updates the legal definition of what counts as a "newspaper" for the purposes of media ownership and merger rules. The motion passed by 334 votes to 54.

Why it matters: The Enterprise Act 2002 sets out rules governing how media mergers are assessed, including special public interest considerations that apply specifically to newspapers. By updating the statutory definition of "newspaper," this order determines which publications fall within the scope of those rules, with direct consequences for how regulators and ministers treat acquisitions and ownership changes in the press sector. A broader definition could bring more digital and online publications into the regulatory framework, while a narrower one could leave new forms of journalism outside the protections designed to preserve media plurality and competition.

The politics: The vote divided largely along party lines in an unusual way. Labour and its Co-operative partners, along with several smaller parties including Reform UK, the Greens, the DUP and the Ulster Unionists, voted in favour. The Liberal Democrats provided the overwhelming bulk of the opposition, with 49 of their MPs voting no, making them the defining voice against the order. Only three Conservatives voted, all in opposition, though over 100 Conservative MPs were absent. The vote sits within a broader cluster of related divisions on media merger law, including a same-day vote on a companion order and an earlier July vote on rules covering newspaper mergers involving foreign powers, suggesting the government is pursuing a coordinated legislative update to the media ownership framework.