Reform UK ban journalists from party conference: What could this mean for political journalism?

Not long after the success of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election, Reform UK made headlines once again, as they held their 2026 party conference from 3rd to 5th September, putting forward their “First 100 days” pledge. However, many were left shocked by the party’s decision to ban three journalists from the conference.

Journalists Anna Isaac (of the Guardian), Peter Geoghegan and Michael Crick became aware in the week of the conference that they wouldn’t be allowed entry.

Isaac broke the news of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accepting an undeclared £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire; Crick uncovered official documentation of racist and neo-fascist comments made by Farage during his time at school; and Geoghegan has been highly critical of the party’s covert political activities, including donations and the use of the influence of political broadcaster Isabel Oakeshott, who is deputy leader Richard Tice’s partner.

Reform UK informed the journalists by email that their accreditation applications had been ‘unsuccessful’, and Oakeshott later cited how ‘one broke the law; another has only one agenda; and the third is not a journalist.’ These comments completely undermine each of the three journalists’ media freedom and their efforts to scrutinise politicians.

The ban is particularly significant for political journalism, as it limits media freedom, reducing the ability of the public to be appropriately informed about UK political parties, which may influence their trust in or view of that party.

Reduced media freedom also poses a risk of further political fragmentation into media echo chambers, as people see fewer contrasting opinions to their own, and less information against the party they choose to trust.

This stimulates ‘affective polarisation’, as people will continue to see media that aligns with their views, and they see politicians of the group they are drawn to more positively, as they do not see the criticisms in the media, causing a more divided political landscape.

Similarly, the Labour Party came under scrutiny in September 2025, as journalists for legitimate news outlets, such as the Guardian and Novara Media, also had their access to a party conference revoked. They cited ‘code of conduct breaches’.

At the time, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called on the Labour Party to uphold its ‘commitment to media freedom’ in a statement on 1st October 2025.

More recently, the NUJ responded to the decisions of Reform UK by condemning the party’s ‘intimidation and obstruction of journalists’, and encouraged ‘the government and all political parties’ to maintain a ‘commitment to media freedom and uphold the public’s right to be informed’.

Political journalism has a fundamental role in holding political actors to account for their actions and decisions and, as a core component of freedom of expression in the UK, political parties are responsible for allowing legitimate journalists to report on their activities and events.

Therefore, the unfair trend of banning journalists from political events must stop in order to protect the public’s rights to information, to keep public information and opinion as widespread as possible, and to hold political parties accountable for their decisions.