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The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council for Reform UK has stated that his party’s councillors were not prohibited from communicating with a local newspaper’s reporters. Following a disagreement over a story regarding local government reorganisation, the council had informed the BBC that Mick Barton had banned the Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live from speaking to him and other councillors, citing that “councillor Barton and his colleagues will not be giving interviews”.
After a council meeting, Barton clarified to the BBC that the ban only applied to press releases and himself personally. He emphasized, “We haven’t got a problem, I’ve not got a problem, I’m being professional and I hope the Notts Post become professional.” Barton mentioned that the ban would remain until the newspaper issued an apology, stating that they needed to make amends by reaching out to him.
The ban imposed also includes BBC-funded journalists working for the publication as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Despite this restriction, reporters from Nottinghamshire Live and the LDRS are still permitted to attend public meetings. Nottinghamshire Live editor Natalie Fahy criticized the ban, as she attempted to present Barton with a copy of the Nottingham Post at the start of the meeting, which he declined to accept.
During a series of interviews with BBC local radio stations, comments from Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice suggested that if reporters were to “act as activists,” then they may not be required to engage with them. Tice highlighted the importance of freedom of speech but noted that there is a distinction between traditional media and individuals who portray activism in their reporting. He expressed confidence that the situation would be resolved, emphasizing the party’s commitment to scrutiny and accountability
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