Farage to meet council leader after ban on local newspaper reporters

Nigel Farage said he will speak with the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council after the council chief moved to bar reporters from a local newspaper from contacting him and other councillors.

The ban, announced last week by the council, said Mick Barton had banned the Nottingham Post and its online arm, Nottinghamshire Live, from speaking to him and other councillors "with immediate effect" following a disagreement over a story about local government reorganisation. Barton later said the restriction applied only to him personally.

Farage, the national leader of Reform UK, told the BBC on Wednesday that he did not know the reasons for Barton's action and that he planned to raise the matter when he sees Barton at the party's conference on Friday. Farage was speaking in Washington, D.C., where he had addressed members of the U.S. Congress on free-speech issues in the U.K.

"I don't know. I'm going to see him at the conference this Friday and have a chat with him," Farage said when asked about the ban by BBC reporters after his congressional appearance.

Nottinghamshire County Council initially confirmed the ban to the BBC. Local media and press freedom advocates said the decision would limit journalists' ability to report on council business and decisions affecting residents, while Barton subsequently clarified that the measure was a personal one rather than a council-wide policy.

The dispute stems from coverage of discussions over local government reorganisation. The Nottingham Post and Nottinghamshire Live have reported on plans and controversies surrounding proposed structural changes to how local services are administered, an issue that has attracted local attention and scrutiny.

Press access to elected officials and council meetings is a longstanding component of local accountability. Campaigners and some journalists have argued that restrictions on contact with reporters can hinder public scrutiny, while politicians have defended their right to manage media relations.

Farage's intervention reflects the national profile of Reform UK and the attention the party's internal and local dynamics can draw. The party conference on Friday is expected to bring together national and local figures; Farage and Barton are scheduled to be in attendance.

There was no immediate comment from Barton on Wednesday about any planned discussion with Farage beyond his earlier statement that the ban was personal. The Nottingham Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Farage's remarks.

The episode underscores tensions between local media outlets and political figures as debates over government structure and transparency continue to play out across the United Kingdom.