A teenage Reform UK council leader is facing a vote of no confidence after opponents claimed he brought the authority into “disrepute”.
George Finch, who became the UK’s youngest ever council leader when he was appointed to run Warwickshire county council aged 19 last year, is facing attempts to oust him from his position.
The council’s Green Party group leader, Jonathan Chilvers, has called for a vote on Mr Finch’s role next week after claiming he has “abused the office of leader”.
“Cllr George Finch has abused the office of leader and time and again brought Warwickshire into disrepute,” Mr Chilvers told The Independent.
“His repeated attacks on staff, partner institutions and use of the Leader role for constant cheap and nasty political points scoring is unacceptable.
“He has ignored the expressed will of the elected council on more than one occasion. He is breaching the British values that we all hold dear – fair play, rule of law and basic decency.”
Reasons given for bringing the motion forward included claims made by Mr Finch last year that police had held back information about the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl.
Mr Chilvers added: “As Greens, we cannot continue to stand by and let our British democracy be attacked and Warwickshire undermined. We are therefore bringing forward a motion to remove him as leader on 17 March.”
Mr Finch told the BBC that the motion was a “political stunt”.
“Those trying to remove me have offered no alternative council plan and no credible answer to what replaces the work already under way,” he said.
He added: “Residents can see what this is. It is not a serious alternative administration.
“It is an anti-Reform bloc held together by opposition to this administration and the change Warwickshire voted for.”
The Independent contacted Reform UK and Mr Finch for a comment.
Mr Finch became leader of the council after its previous leader, Rob Howard, quit 41 days into the role after Reform’s success at the local elections last year.
The teenager has faced a string of controversies since becoming leader, having called sixth form a “complete joke” and said it only helps young people develop a “woke mindset”.
He also risked being found in contempt of court last August after making a statement during a press conference in London about the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl.
The youngest council leader in the country claimed there has been a “cover-up” of details about the case after police charged two men, Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, in connection with the offence.
The chief constable of Warwickshire Police later responded to Mr Finch’s claims, sharing the letter addressed to the councillor publicly.
The letter stated the force “did not and will not cover up such criminality” and explained it did not release immigration status at the point of charge in line with national guidance.
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