Row continues over Pride flag at Warwickshire County Council HQ

The row has made national headlines with Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf criticising the council boss of acting like “monarch of Warwickshire” for defying George Finch, the 18-year-old interim leader of the authority, who has ordered the flag to be taken down as per Reform's policy of only flying British flags.

Yusuf claimed Ms Fogarty was undertaking a 'coup d'etat' and said it was a 'subversion of democracy'.

But Councillor Jonathan Chilvers (Green, Leamington Brunswick) has thrown his support behind the council boss.

He said: “I’m proud to live in a country where leaders, let alone interim leaders, can’t make a decision on a whim based on what they ate for breakfast that morning - that's what dictatorships are made of.

"If Councillor Finch wants to make a decision he should go through cabinet in line with the democratic traditions of our country that protect us all.

"It’s appalling that when he couldn’t get what he wanted he cried off to his national party to get them to launch a full bloodied party political assault on a civil servant.

"If that’s his interview for the top job he’s just failed badly.”

Warwickshire Pride has also made a statement.

It says: “We have been made aware that the chief executive of Warwickshire County Council (WCC), Monica Fogarty, is being targeted by the Reform party and fringe press for not taking down the Pride flag currently flying outside of WCC headquarters for Pride month.

"In response to a request from the acting leader of WCC and member of the Reform party that the flag be taken down, the chief executive pointed out that it was not within the acting leader's purview.

"The chief executive has delegated authority over which flags are flown.

"WCC councillors would need to amend policy in order to revoke that delegated authority.

"This point of procedure has resulted in a vitriolic attack from the Reform party's national leadership, with their previous party chairman declaring in an outburst of borderline hysteria that “a coup d’etat is underway in Britain” and that control of the country had been seized, though he reassured his followers that there were as yet "no tanks on the streets".

"Warwickshire Pride firmly stands behind Monica Fogarty's decision to keep the Pride flag flying and for standing up for the rights and rules of local government. The Pride flag is a symbol of inclusivity and celebrates the diversity of the queer community.

"We urge WCC's acting leader, George Finch, to focus on managing Warwickshire County Council for all its residents and doing the work of improving its services.

"We look forward to seeing the Pride flag return for next year's Pride month, but please let us know if you do see any tanks wandering round Warwickshire's backroads.”

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