Bridget Phillipson condemns Richard Tice’s ‘chilling attempt to silence free press’

Labour chair says Reform deputy leader is trying to harass journalists over reporting on his financial affairs Richard Tice has been accused by Labour’s Bridget Phillipson of mounting a “deeply chilling attempt to silence the free press” after he sent a legal threat to the Guardian over its reporting on his financial affairs. Lawyers for Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, singled out a Guardian correspondent for her journalism about a series of Tice’s financial transactions that were referred to the National Crime Agency. Tice is now suing the NCA, claiming that the information could only have come from an officer within the agency. In a separate letter to the Guardian, Tice’s lawyers made clear they would be seeking disclosure of documents that they believe could reveal the details of sources. In response, Phillipson, the chair of the Labour party, said it was an attempt to silence journalism. She said: “Rather than answer serious allegations, Richard Tice is now trying to harass those who have exposed them. The Reform deputy leader should drop this lawsuit [against the NCA] and come clean. “Trumped-up legal letters targeting honest journalism are very revealing.