Lib Dems demand Farage is dragged in front of DCMS Committee after Reform threats to national journalists

The Liberal Democrats have demanded that Nigel Farage is dragged in front of the DCMS Select Committee “at the earliest opportunity” to face questions about reports that Reform have threatened to ban a national paper from attending the party’s events if they did not “change a critical story”.

The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox wrote yesterday (3rd September) that he had taken calls from “a member of Reform’s leadership and an aide to Mr Farage” in which he was told that his paper “will be banned from all events if we do not change a critical story or the tone of our questions and coverage”.

It comes after Farage appeared in front of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee yesterday where he criticised the UK’s laws on free speech and compared the country to North Korea. Whilst in the US he also made comments describing Britain as “awful” and relating to free speech that he “hoped American political parties, leaders and businesses have a frank conversation with the British government and say if you don’t sort this out it is going to have serious trade implications for both of us”.

Many have pointed out the irony of Farage going to the US to rail against UK free speech laws whilst In recent weeks Reform’s Nottinghamshire Council leader has come under fire for banning his councillors from speaking to Nottinghamshire Live or sending them press releases after what he perceived to be negative coverage.

Other Reform council leaders have made similarly chilling comments to the press about their coverage. Reform’s Durham County council leader, in relation to the Nottinghamshire situation, accused local press of using “freelance activists”. He added that “these publications and editors need to realise that we… are realistically the next party in government” and that such “activists” would be “very unemployable when they have no content to share in the not so distant future”.

The Liberal Democrats are now calling for Nigel Farage to be dragged in front of the DCMS Select Committee “at the earliest opportunity” to answer questions about Reform’s “assault on the free press”. The party added that these tactics were “blatant hypocrisy” after Farage criticised the UK for in his mind becoming like North Korea.

Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson, Max Wilkinson MP said:

“Nigel Farage needs to be dragged in front of the Select Committee at the earliest opportunity and be held to account for Reform’s assault on the free press.

“The press is the cornerstone of our democracy and it is right that politicians submit themselves to their scrutiny. For Farage’s party to act this way is a chilling example of what could happen to our proud democratic traditions if Reform ever got into power.

“He says the UK is becoming like North Korea while ruling over a party that treats the media increasingly like a despot would. British people and our free press shouldn’t have to put up with that blatant hypocrisy.

“After his MAGA bootlicking tour across the pond and describing the country he professes to love as “awful” maybe he should crawl out of Trump’s pocket and face some accountability here in the UK.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

First reported by the Independent here: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-reform-uk-free-speech-b2820274.html

Reporting on Reform’s threats to the Independent can be found here: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-media-ban-nottinghamshire-live-farage-free-speech-b2817293.html

Farage’s comments about encouraging US businesses to have a “frank” conversation with the UK government: www.youtube.com/watch

The Liberal Democrats calling for Farage to expel the Reform’s Nottinghamshire Council leader over his Nottinghamshire Live ban: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/richard-tice-nottinghamshire-county-council-reform-uk-nigel-farage-liberal-democrats-b2818540.html

The Liberal Democrats previously writing to the DCMS committee calling for an investigation into Reform’s Nottinghamshire Council leader’s Nottinghamshire Live ban: www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-should-testify-before-35830714