Warwick and Leamington MP has say on Warwickshire County Council leadership challenge
Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western has had his say on Warwickshire County Council’s vote of no confidence for its leader Councillor George Finch.
Councillor Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central) survived in the top job by just one vote on Tuesday (March 17) after the Green Party declared him unfit to govern, citing “attacks on officers” and Warwickshire Police, “breaches of confidentiality” and his defiance of the will of council after losing votes.
He was backed by all 19 Reform UK councillors, two Reform-supporting independents and six out of the seven Conservatives present in a 27-26 victory.
Speaking after the vote yesterday (Tuesday March 17), Mr Western said: “I have expressed repeatedly my profound concerns about the judgement of Councillor Finch.
“Along with many others, I have been outright embarrassed for Warwickshire by the way Councillor Finch has sought to represent our county at a local and national level.
“Warwickshire has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, and our county is becoming a laughing stock due to Councillor Finch’s conduct as leader.
“We are a county of good people and communities that care about one another. However, when you look at the news being driven by Councillor Finch, you would suspect that Warwickshire residents care about nothing more than which flags fly outside Shire Hall.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service yesterday, Cllr Finch said he was “very confident that the political parties in Warwickshire would look at supporting Reform as it is the only common sense option”.
Mr Western said: “ Warwickshire deserves leadership which will put our county first, not prioritise whatever Farage insists they peddle that day. Warwickshire should come first, not the latest diktat from Reform HQ.
"If I had been a county councillor, I would’ve campaigned among the Tories to ensure today’s motion passed.
"It is beyond disappointing it failed.”
The absence of two Conservatives – Councillor Chris Mills (Kineton & Red Horse) and Councillor Dean Richards (Admirals & Cawston) – and Restore Britain duo Councillor Luke Cooper (Studley) and Councillor Scott Cameron (Coleshill South & Arley), who are both ex-Reform, choosing not to vote either way proved pivotal to the result of the vote.
Mr Western said: “I hope the Conservatives, who backed up Councillor Finch, will reflect on whether they can genuinely continue to complain about the actions of Reform UK in Warwickshire when they keep propping them up at every opportunity.
"They had the chance to change something with this vote and once again, fell in line behind Reform.
The two Conservatives who did not attend could have made a difference and ensured this motion passed.
"Now, the Tories need to be clear on where they stand – are they whipping their Councillors to back up Reform so proving that ‘Con-form’ is the less-than-new reality?
"Make no mistake, the Tories have handed Reform UK another ‘get out of jail’ card as the two tones of blue continue to merge into one.
"Warwickshire deserves better and I will keep holding Councillor Finch and his colleagues to account.
"Councillor Finch only narrowly survived this vote of no confidence, by one vote.
"That is not a sign of real confidence in a leader.
"He is skating on thin ice.”