Nottinghamshire County Council, led by Reform UK since the local elections earlier this year, has ended its ban on journalists from the Nottingham Post and its website, Nottinghamshire Live. The reversal came after the outlet, owned by Reach, threatened legal action over breaches of freedom of expression.
The ban, imposed by council leader Mick Barton over an article about internal party splits, had been in place for over a month. It was condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and local MPs. The council's climbdown followed a legal letter from Reach citing breaches of local government regulations and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In a letter from the council's litigation team manager, Geoff Russell, the restrictions were attributed to “miscommunication or misunderstanding.” The council confirmed that journalists are now entitled to attend public meetings and receive press releases, lifting the sanctions that had excluded them from events and distribution lists.
Natalie Fahy, editor of Nottinghamshire Live, welcomed the resolution, stating: “This sends a firm message that journalists will not back down if our freedoms are attacked.” The ban had been partially rolled back earlier for BBC-funded local democracy reporters managed by the paper, but full access has now been restored.
