Nottinghamshire Live has been put on notice that Reform UK's Nottinghamshire county councillors will refuse to speak to any of our journalists from here on in. The ban, which will only be lifted for emergency scenarios like flooding or incidents at council-run schools, applies both to our journalists and to the team of reporters we now manage under the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Councillor Mick Barton, installed as Nottinghamshire County Council's Reform leader after the May 2025 local elections, has told the authority's officers to stop sending press releases to Nottinghamshire Live and our LDR reporters. The policy not only covers Councillor Barton and his top team, but his entire group of 41 Reform councillors.

We have been told that we will not be invited to cover any county council events. If we ask for interviews with Councillor Barton or any of Nottinghamshire's Reform county councillors, these requests will be denied.

Nottinghamshire Live and its historic Nottingham Post newspaper, which has been delivering news to the city and county since 1878, has essentially been told it is no longer allowed to scrutinise those running one of the biggest authorities in our area.

The fact that the policy also........

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