Reform UK leader has gone too far with his ban on the Post

MICK BARTON REFUSES TO SPEAK TO US - AND HE HAS ORDERED COUNTY COUNCIL TO DO THE SAME

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

REFORM UK's county councillors are refusing to speak to the Post.

The ban - which will only be lifted in emergencies like floods or incidents at schools - applies to our journalists and to the team of reporters we use from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Councillor Mick Barton, who became county council leader after the May elections, has told the authority's officers to stop sending press releases to us.

The policy not only covers Councillor Barton and his top team, but his entire group of 41 Reform UK councillors.

We have been told that we will not be invited to any county council events.

If we ask for interviews with Councillor Barton or any Reform county councillors, the requests will be denied.

The Post, which has been delivering news since 1878, is therefore no longer allowed to scrutinise the biggest local authority in the county.

The BBC-funded LDRS team allows all local media to run reports from councils. Reporters will still be covering council meetings, they will no longer be able to interview Reform councillors.