Council's reputation 'damaged' over press ban... but leader says he would do it again

THE leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said he would be willing to impose a ban on journalists again - an “attack on the press” which has been branded a “sham” and “disgraceful”.

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN Local democracy reporter

Nottinghamshire County Council met on Thursday in a full council meeting where a motion tabled by Broxtowe Alliance councillor Teresa Cullen called on the Reform-led authority to “support a free press”.

The council faced a backlash at the end of summer after it imposed a ban on the Nottingham Post, Nottinghamshire Live, and the three Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reporters it employs.

It followed an article in August which included a claim that Reform councillors not voting for council leader Mick Barton’s preference on local government reorganisation (LGR) could be suspended from the group.

The Reform-led authority stopped sending press releases to the organisation, giving interviews to its reporters or inviting them to council events, saying only in emergency situations, such as flooding, would the ban be lifted.

But at the end of September, a partial lift of the ban was achieved for the three LDRS reporters after a private meeting with cabinet members. The lifting of the ban was extended to the rest of the Post and Nottinghamshire Live in early October after a legal challenge.

Opening the motion, Councillor Cullen called press freedom a “democratic necessity” and said: “When international news outlets report that we have a problem with press freedom, it does nothing for our reputation or economy.