A Yorkshire daily newspaper has criticised the Conservative Party after its reporter was barred from covering David Cameron on a factory tour.
Joanne Douglas, local government reporter with the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, was prevented from joining the Prime Minister’s tour of a factory in the marginal Colne Valley constituency, and was then given just one minute to interview Cameron after waiting with other journalists for over an hour.
Friday’s edition of the Examiner
Writing in the Examiner, she said: “For a while I thought my report would be limited to a list of what biscuits I ate in a side room, hidden away from the action, with other local media.
“The Examiner did, however, manage to get our photographer, Andy Catchpool, on the tour. But even Andy found himself on the wrong end of a Tory spin doctor when he tried to take a photo of Mr Cameron leaving the factory. There was an exchange of words and no photo.
“Behind the scenes at the Examiner we’ve faced challenges in dealing with other political parties. We accept time is short and demand is high, but the local press can reach more local voters than the national press can.
“It’s a shame they can’t see that and give us more than one minute to ask questions.”
The Conservative Party has already been criticised for its media accreditation policy for the campaign, with those applying for the party’s more high-profile events having to submit details including their home address, passport and driving licence numbers, and a photograph.
