改革党副领袖理查德·蒂斯因向《卫报》发出法律威胁而招致批评。[1]蒂斯的律师要求披露可能涉及记者来源身份的文件，[1]此举引发新闻界和政界人士的强烈反对。《卫报》之前报道称改革党接收了100万英镑的秘密捐款，以及法拉奇获得了500万英镑的礼物，[1]这些交易已被银行家报告给国家犯罪局。[1]
前保守党文化大臣约翰·惠廷代尔对这一举动表示反对，指出"自由新闻的本质是记者可以使用验证过的来源信息而不被迫透露身份"。[1]言论审查指数首席执行官杰米玛·斯坦菲尔德将蒂斯的行为称作"肮脏战术"，[1]认为其目的在于沉默记者和信息来源。
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice has faced accusations of employing intimidation tactics after his legal team issued a threat to The Guardian demanding disclosure of documents that could reveal journalist sources.[1] The legal action comes in response to The Guardian's reporting on Reform UK's receipt of £1 million in secret donations and a £5 million gift to Nigel Farage, transactions that have been reported to the National Crime Agency by bankers.[1]
The demand for source disclosure has drawn sharp criticism from politicians and press freedom advocates. Former Conservative Culture Secretary John Whittingdale stated that "the essence of a free press is that journalists can use verified sources without being forced to reveal their identity."[1] Jemima Stanfield, Chief Executive of the Index on Censorship, characterized the legal threat as "nasty tactics" designed to silence both reporters and their sources.[1]