Downing Street scraps afternoon journalist briefings as Badenoch says Labour are 'running scared'
Downing Street has scrapped its daily afternoon press briefing, in a move journalists warned could damage scrutiny of the Government.
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Number 10 normally holds two briefings for political journalists on most days that Parliament is sitting.
The briefings allow the "lobby", the group of political journalists that cover Westminster, an opportunity to question the Prime Minister's official spokesman.
But the Government announced on Friday it would abolish the afternoon briefing from the new year.
Number 10 said it would also offer "occasional" press conferences with ministers or technical briefings to allow greater access for "content creators" and journalists outside the lobby.
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Tim Allan, Downing Street's executive director of communications, said the media landscape had been "utterly transformed" in recent years, leaving the current arrangements "not fit for purpose".
He said change was needed to "better serve journalists" and "better inform the public", adding the new system would allow the lobby "more direct access to ministers and a greater ability to access information about Government policies".
But David Hughes and Lizzy Buchan, the outgoing and incoming chairs of the lobby, said: "We are greatly concerned by this step and furious that the lobby was not consulted about this move which restricts access and, we fear, scrutiny.
"Downing Street has promised more ministerial press conferences but they will obviously control the timetable for those and will no doubt seek to choose who they take questions from.
"None of this bodes well for transparency from a government which came into office promising to raise standards."
Kemi Badenoch said a future Conservative government would restore the afternoon briefings, saying: "Keir Starmer is running scared.
"This is a Labour Government that hates scrutiny and blames everyone else for its failings."
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "The Government will not improve its ability to communicate with the public by drastically reducing transparency and the media's daily access.
"Updating how it communicates to better reach people is vital, but that can't be done at the expense of scrutiny and accountability."