Local journalism is 'under siege' says the US Congressman who grilled Nigel Farage

Congressman Jamie Raskin has spoken to the Post after questioning Nigel Farage on the Reform ban against the newspaper and website

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

A SENIOR American politician who questioned Nigel Farage over the Reform-run county council's ban on the Post says that “local journalism is under siege”.

Speaking more than three weeks after Nottinghamshire County Council’s leadership imposed a ban on our journalists at the Post, Nottinghamshire Live and the Local Democracy Reporting Service, US Congressman Representative Jamie Raskin added: “Nothing Nigel Farage has said since tells me he's changed his views on this in any way”.

It comes after Mr Raskin, the ranking Democrat member of the House Judiciary Committee, challenged the Reform leader on freedom of speech in Britain as he gave evidence to US Congress on September 3. Addressing Mr Farage at the committee, the US politician accused Reform of hypocrisy over the newspaper ban and said: “Why do you ban journalists who oppose your views from coming to your events?”

Speaking directly after the meeting, the Reform leader told the BBC he would “have a chat” with county council leader Mick Barton about the ban. But three weeks later, the Post's journalists are still subject to the ban, and are unable to speak to Mr Barton, receive press releases or be invited to media events.

On Friday, Mr Raskin told the Post that the continuation of the ban was worrying as he warned of similar incidents in the States.