Police called after Warwickshire councillor claimed Pride has been 'hijacked by groomers and mentally ill men in dresses gyrating in front of children'

Councillor Wayne Briggs (Reform UK, Arbury), Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for children and families, education and special educational needs and disabilities, made the comments in an email objecting to the Pride flag being flown from council buildings.

Council chair Councillor Dale Keeling (Con, Leam Valley & Dunsmore) has sole discretion over flags other than the Union Jack, St George’s Cross and the flag of Warwickshire flying from the county’s headquarters in line after Reform UK rolled out a flag policy last year.

Cllr Keeling has acknowledged he reached a “compromise” in choosing to fly the Pride flag throughout Pride month from the single flagpole at Old Shire Hall, around the corner from the main council building front which still has the three standard flags raised from it.

'Duty to promote the nuclear family'

That decision was hinted at in correspondence on Saturday, June 6, with Cllr Briggs writing to the chair on Monday, June 8, expressing disappointment that he had “bowed to concerted pressure from a coalition of left-wing councillors”.

The email continued: "Personally, I'm all for live and let live but this movement has been hijacked by groomers and mentally ill men in dresses gyrating in front of children and pushing a delusion that you can somehow change from 'male' to 'female' or vice versa if you're unhappy with your own body.”

Describing that as “dangerous ideology”, Cllr Briggs insisted “the flag certainly doesn't represent me, the residents who voted for me or the vast majority that voted for any of us on the centre-right”.

He added: "We can see the degradation of our society before our eyes and I believe it is our duty to promote the 'nuclear family' and all the benefits that brings to children, their parents and wider society.”

He closed with a request to “continue to refuse the request” despite it being the first request for a Pride flag that Cllr Keeling had fielded – previous rejections were overseen by predecessor Councillor Ed Harris (Ind, Baddesley & Dordon) during his time as a Reform UK councillor.

The email's release and backlash

The views were aired when Warwickshire Pride, the county’s leading organisation representing LGBTQ+ people, published a printout of the email on social media, calling for Cllr Briggs to resign and apologise for “clearly being transphobic in his email” that amounted to “hate speech”.

It was confirmed Warwickshire Pride had reported the matter to Warwickshire Police and filed a complaint with Warwickshire County Council, adding: “This is completely unacceptable, a clear breach of the code of conduct and principles of public life and a hate crime that must be dealt with.”

Warwickshire Police confirmed a report had been received on Wednesday (June 17) with the force making arrangements to gather initial details.

On Thursday, the county council’s Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Sarah Boad (Leamington North) branded the comments “vile and dehumanising”, declaring they had “no place in public life” and backed the call for Cllr Briggs to go.

"While he holds these views about the very communities his portfolio exists to serve, his position is untenable,” her statement read.

“We are calling on the leader of the council (Councillor George Finch) to remove him from that role. Every resident of Warwickshire deserves a council that protects them, whoever they are, whoever they love and whatever their family looks like.

“The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for every resident, including trans people and the wider LGBTQ+ communities.”

Briggs backed

Cllr Briggs and Cllr Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central) have yet to acknowledge the Local Democracy Reporting Service’s request for comment but unapologetically acknowledged the authenticity of the email.

Cllr Briggs referred to the email as “private", insisting it was not a statement of the council or the Reform UK administration that runs it, nor was it made in his capacity as a cabinet member.

Doubling down on its content, Cllr Briggs added: “I stand by the concerns I raised and will not be offering an apology.

"I believe there are serious and legitimate questions about political neutrality in council buildings and the importance of protecting children and maintaining parental confidence.

“However, I fully accept that if I were speaking publicly as a portfolio holder or issuing a formal statement on behalf of the council (that) I would use different language.

“We at Warwickshire County Council serve all residents. My concern is not about denying services to anyone or treating any resident unfairly. It is about the promotion of gender reassignment, particularly in council spaces and services used by families.”

He vowed to “cooperate fully with any process” emanating from the complaints.

Cllr Finch said Cllr Briggs had expressed “a personal view in private correspondence”.

“One of our core tenets at Reform UK is freedom of speech and our councillors are real people who speak plainly and wear their hearts on their sleeves.

“There are legitimate issues worthy of debate around safeguarding where children are involved. These are legitimate issues for elected councillors to raise and discuss.

“Cabinet positions will not be determined by online pressure or trial by social media.

“Councillor Briggs has my confidence to continue in his role. He is a hardworking councillor who cares deeply about children and families across Warwickshire.”