The Times can report that Conservative press office today removed Times journalist, /u/jgm0228, from the press briefing room citing unfavourable use of Tory responses to press questions.

The Times has received no formal response from the Conservative press office about /u/jgm0228’s removal, but /u/InfernoPlato was recorded saying to a Times journalist, “[y]ou’re doing the jgm thing whereby you ask questions but don’t publish our answers.”

The move comes weeks after the Conservative Party opted to reduce the number of journalists permitted to attend its briefings and allow only one participant per outlet. At the time this was seen by most press outlets as a reasonable decision, but today’s expulsion of The Times’ representative in the Government’s briefing room has sparked concern elsewhere.

Politically, The Times holds a neutral editorial stance; however, in the spirit of the British tradition of a free press, we will not allow the Government of the day to dictate which of our journalists may or may not attend Government briefings, nor will we countenance the Government dictating which answers they give will or will not be useful in our articles.

Given this, The Times can announce that if the Government excludes specific journalists from their press room - journalists from any press outlet - then we shall be forced to report in absentia on the Government’s briefings, such that they are, and we encourage other reputable media organisations to take the same stance.