AN MP has vowed to push for assurances a telecoms firm’s £12.5bn takeover of one of the region's biggest companies will have no impact on jobs.

BT’s move for Darlington’s largest private employer - EE - has been approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The watchdog, which last year hinted it would consent BT’s overtures, rejected fears the merger would unfairly narrow the marketplace.

EE previously said it doesn't expect jobs to be affected and earlier this week revealed it is spending millions of pounds to build new offices and secure more than 1,500 posts in Darlington.

BT told The Northern Echo it is too early to say what the make-up of the new company will look like.

However, Jenny Chapman, the town’s MP, said she will continue talking to EE to ensure it continues its commitment to the town.

She said: “There are no worries at this stage, and I’ve been in contact with EE throughout the whole process.

“At every stage, I’ve been assured there are no intentions to alter at all the site in Darlington.

“It is a time of change for the company and I want to build a relationship with the new employers to ensure Darlington continues to be a site of importance for the business.”

EE is Darlington’s largest private employer with about 1,500 call centre staff, and the company also has hundreds more workers at sites in Doxford, Sunderland, and Cobalt Business Park, near Newcastle.

The deal will make BT one of the top ten largest companies in the region, giving it an 8,000-strong workforce, extended scope to offer fixed-lines phones, mobiles and TV, and access to EE’s 4G network, which provides users with instant internet access.

BT was always adamant the move would deliver better competition and give customers greater choice, and EE also warned rivals not to put “roadblocks” in its way.

Confirming its decision, John Wotton, CMA inquiry chairman, said: “The evidence doesn’t show this merger is likely to cause significant harm to competition or consumers’ interests.

“The retail mobile services market in the UK is competitive, with four main mobile providers and a substantial number of smaller operators.

“As BT is a smaller operator in mobile, it is unlikely the merger will have a significant effect.

“Similarly, EE is only a minor player in retail broadband, so again it is unlikely to have a significant effect in this market.”

A BT spokesman added: "It is great news the CMA has approved our acquisition of EE and we have now started the formal process of completing the deal. 

"We will say more about the future structure of EE once this process has taken place.”

The deal at a glance: 

Why is this good for BT?

It gives them 25 million mobile customers. The company has been without a strong mobile business since the demerger of its Cellnet division more than a decade ago. BT will now be able to offer bundles of telecoms, TV, broadband and mobile to its customers to compete better with rivals such as Sky and Virgin Media.

Is it good for customers?

Gavin Patterson, BT chief executive, said: “The combined BT and EE will be a digital champion for the UK, providing high levels of investment and driving innovation in a highly competitive market.” The competition watchdog said that the merger would not result in a substantial lessening of competition. Rivals TalkTalk and Vodafone have previously called for competition authorities to force BT to spin off its Openreach operation if the EE deal was approved.

What happens next?

BT will start the formal process of completing the deal. A prospectus will be issued in the week commencing January 25 with the deal set to close on January 29 when Deutsche Telekom and Orange will receive shares in BT. The deal is expected to be completed before the end of March. BT will create a separate EE division within the group. Chief executive Olaf Swantee will step down next month, to be replaced by EE’s chief commercial officer Marc Allera. BT is expected to retain the EE consumer brand name, although the Orange and T-Mobile brands have been phased out. Ofcom cannot force BT to split off Openreach but could refer it to the Competition and Markets Authority recommending a break up.