The Society of Editors has cautiously welcomed a pledge by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to “have a chat” with the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council following the council leader’s decision to ban contact with NottinghamshireLive.

Mr Farage, who yesterday gave evidence to the US Congress on freedom of speech in the UK, made the pledge after he was questioned by the BBC about the controversy caused by Council Leader Mick Barton’s decision to ban all Reform UK’s councillors in Nottingham from engaging with the Reach-owned platform.

Speaking to the BBC after giving evidence to US lawmakers on free speech, Farage said that he would “have a chat” with the county council leader about the ban at Reform’s national conference on Friday amid the need to “find a solution”.

He said: “I’m going to see him at the conference this Friday and have a chat with him. He obviously thinks that they [Nottinghamshire Live] are bad actors, but I think I’ve got a good history of being a peacemaker in these situations…I’ve seen these disputes before and we need to find a solution.”

Responding to the update, Dawn Alford, Chief Executive of the Society of Editors said: “At a time when Reform UK appears keen to set itself out as the ‘party of free speech’ it’s actions in Nottingham risk fatally undermining its credibility on the subject so we welcome Nigel Farage’s intervention on this important issue.

“The ongoing ban on Reform UK councillors speaking to the Nottingham Post is as absurd as it is alarming. A free press must be free to scrutinise all elected officials, irrespective of party, and this is done without fear or favour. 

“NottinghamshireLive is not full of “bad actors” – they are journalists trying to do their job holding power to account on behalf of the public. At a time when freedom of expression and a free press are under attack worldwide, the party’s actions in Nottingham risk setting a dangerous precedent and we call on the party to see sense and reverse this decision.”