A local newspaper group has launched legal action against a decision by Reform UK-led Nottinghamshire County Council to ban its journalists from covering council business.
In August, council leader Cllr Mick Barton barred the Nottingham Post and its sister site Nottinghamshire Live, claiming their reporting on local government reorganisation amounted to ‘misinformation’.
Law firm CMS LLP has now written to the authority on behalf of Reach Midlands Media Limited, the publisher of the outlets. The letter argues that the ban has no legal foundation, describing it as 'irrational' and in breach of local government regulations, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the council’s own code of conduct for councillors.
The decision has sparked widespread criticism. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the move, while a cross-party group of former county council leaders also voiced concern. The issue has even been raised in the US Congress, where Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was questioned about freedom of speech.
