Sunday, October 04, 2026
Reform continue to block journalists from doing their job
The paper says that Local Democracy Reporter Eddie Bisknell told how an 81-year-old woman won a legal battle with Derbyshire County Council over a garden fence, but Reform UK’s administration, which runs the local authority, now says it will not engage with the journalist after what it characterised as "a prolonged period of concerns":
The decision has prompted a backlash, including from the Society of Editors (SoS), which champions press freedom. SoS chief executive Dawn Alford told the Mirror: “Refusing to engage with a journalist because you object to their reporting sets a dangerous precedent.
"Public bodies must be open to scrutiny, including when the questions are uncomfortable and the coverage is critical. Journalists must be free to investigate, ask questions and hold those in power to account... Cutting off contact with the reporter is plainly wrong and does nothing to resolve those concerns. This matters far beyond one journalist or one story. When a public body shuts out a reporter, it is the public who lose access to answers about decisions taken in their name and money spent on their behalf.
“The Society of Editors urges Reform-led Derbyshire County Council to reverse this decision. Local journalism is essential to democratic accountability, and councils should defend the public’s right to know by engaging openly with those asking questions.”
Mr Bisknell reports for the Derby Telegraph and DerbyshireLive, part of Daily Mirror owner Reach PLC, in a Local Democracy Reporter role funded by the BBC. Derbyshire County Council is majority-controlled by Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage has repeatedly spoken out in favour of freedom of speech. The local authority’s deputy leader Stephen Reed reportedly announced the move in an interview with BBC Radio Derby, followed by a press release.
A copy of the press release seen by the Mirror is headed “Reform UK Administration Ends Engagement with Individual Local Democracy Reporter Following Loss of Confidence”. It is described as a “political statement from the Reform UK administration… not a corporate statement issued by Derbyshire County Council”.
The release says: “The Reform UK administration at Derbyshire County Council has taken the decision to end engagement with an individual Local Democracy Reporter following a prolonged period of concerns regarding reporting standards, accuracy, balance and professional conduct. The administration wishes to make absolutely clear that this decision is not an attack on freedom of the press, local journalism or the principle of scrutiny.”
The release claimed the decision had “not been taken because of a single article or individual disagreement”, alleging concerns had “been raised over a longer period”. But in a separate op-ed, Councillor Reed detailed grievances over Mr Bisknell’s reporting on retired teacher Helene Ball’s row with the council.
This sort of behaviour is becoming all too common amongst Reform politicians, it is straight out of the Trump playbook.
