The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Colonel Arthur B. Sleigh in June 1855 as the Daily Telegraph and Courier, and is the only remaining national broadsheet-only newspaper in the UK. Owned by David and Frederick Barclay, The Telegraph has the ninth largest daily UK newspaper circulation and is the country's "other paper of record".

In January 2009, the Telegraph was the highest selling British 'quality' paper, with a certified average daily circulation of 842,912. This compared with a circulation of 617,483 for The Times, 358,844 for The Guardian, and 215,504 for The Independent. According to a MORI survey conducted in 2005, 64% of Telegraph readers intended to support the Conservative Party in the coming elections.

The Daily Telegraph and Courier was founded by Colonel Arthur B. Sleigh in June 1855 to air a personal grievance against the future Commander-in-chief of the British Army, Prince George, Duke of Cambridge. Joseph Moses Levy, the owner of The Sunday Times, agreed to print the newspaper, and the first edition was published on June 29, 1855. The paper cost 2d and was four pages long. It was not a success however, and Sleigh was unable to pay Levy the printing bill. Levy took over the newspaper; his aim being to produce a cheaper newspaper than his main competitors in London, the Daily News and The Morning Post, to expand the size of the overall market.