Reform UK's Nottinghamshire County Council leadership has lifted its Nottinghamshire Live ban in full as the authority says it remains "committed to the principles of openness", reported Nottinghamshire Live. The publisher says it is a legal victory following weeks of campaigning against the ban and means it will again be invited to public council events and will again be added to the council's distribution list for press releases.
The ban has been in place for more than a month and has been condemned since then by figures ranging from the Prime Minister to a leading US congressman, alongside more than 40,000 people who signed a petition raising concerns about the precedent the ban set in terms of press freedom, added Nottinghamshire Live. The lifting of the ban follows a legal challenge launched by Nottinghamshire Live, which saw the county council having to respond to a letter setting out the position adopted by Reach Midlands Media Limited, the publisher of Nottinghamshire Live and its print title, the Nottingham Post.
Nottinghamshire Live says it welcomes the lifting of the ban and hopes it serves as a precedent for any further potential attempts to restrict press coverage in the UK.
Natalie Fahy said: "I'm pleased this unprecedented ban has been lifted and the situation finally resolved, so that we can continue to get on with our jobs as we always have done. That means asking questions of elected council officials, having access to publicly-funded information and events and holding them to account on behalf of our communities in Nottinghamshire. This sends a firm message that journalists will not back down if our freedoms are attacked."
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