Reform council leader survives no confidence vote

Reform UK council leader George Finch has survived a no confidence call by one vote.

The vote was carried out at Warwickshire County Council's full council meeting after Green Party councillors suggested he had "abused the office of leader".

Twenty six councillors voted for the motion and 27 against, while two councillors abstained from voting.

Finch, who made headlines last year after becoming the youngest council leader in the UK at 19, said residents wanted "common sense leadership, not a coalition of chaos".

Warwickshire Green Party group leader Jonathan Chilvers said the motion had been submitted due to incidents including a dispute with police over their handling of a case involving the rape of a 12-year-old girl and a row with the council's chief executive, Monica Fogarty, over Pride flags.

Speaking at the meeting, Chilvers said the motion was not one he brought lightly.

He said: "This motion is about actions and behaviour. Politics is about rough and tumble… but it's also about kindness and treating people as human beings.

"He asked us to judge him on his actions as leader, and his actions have fallen short."

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