The leader of Warwickshire County Council is facing a third code of conduct complaint amid accusations that his demeanour has become "much more aggressive" in social media videos.

The latest complaint against Cllr George Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central) relates to three separate posts shared on Facebook and X.

One included a video in which Cllr Finch said then-leader of Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council Chris Watkins would be a "squatter" if he played a part in cancelling May's boroughs elections and stayed in post beyond that point. 

The others relate to images, one of Rugby borough councillors dressed as clowns and another mock-up of county Cllr Jan Matecki in a burglar's outfit.

It follows on from the council appointing an external solicitor to investigate complaints related to Cllr Finch's public comments about a child rape case, while Cllr Matecki has since complained about how he was portrayed on social media.

He now has support from another section of the Shire Hall chamber with its second longest-serving Cllr Sarah Boad becoming "more and more concerned and angry" over what she was seeing. 

'Much more aggressive'

"In my 31 years on Warwickshire County Council I have never submitted a code of conduct complaint before," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 

She said the "attack" on Mr Watkins had been "very rude and very personal" about someone who was "just as legitimately elected as Councillor Finch".

Cllr Boad said the post about Cllr Matecki – dismissed as a "comedic joke" by Cllr Finch – had been "really unpleasant and completely unnecessary".

"There was a build up and I felt it was unacceptable," she said.

"All his social media pages refer to him being leader of Warwickshire County Council. As leader, he is bringing the council into disrepute, he isn't treating his fellow councillors with respect and he isn't communicating respectfully with people outside of the council.

"There is a line between being a Reform UK campaigner and being the leader of the council."

She went on to question why, in her view, the ferocity of Cllr Finch's communications had increased in recent months. 

"That question should be answered," she insisted.

"Looking at social media output, one might say there has been a change in the past couple of months – what has triggered that?

"In recent social media videos his body language, his stance, it is much more aggressive. He was very aggressive after the vote of confidence in the leader of Nuneaton & Bedworth. 

"The way he says stuff has changed and I think it is a legitimate question to ask whether he is producing all this social media or whether another member of his group, or someone else, is producing it."

Shared concerns

Cllr Boad confirmed the matter was under consideration by monitoring officer Sarah Duxbury – the council's most senior legal official and arbiter of code of conduct complaints – and that she had personally made Cllr Finch aware of her submission. 

Asked what response Cllr Finch gave, Cllr Boad said he had "shrugged". Having confirmed the complaint was filed "a few weeks" ago, Cllr Boad said that neither she nor Cllr Finch had sought to discuss the matter since.

She also indicated that her views were shared by other political groups.

"The Conservative group was certainly very concerned, and other groups as well," Cllr Boad said.

"There is a feeling that it is lowering the tone. Councillor Finch talks a lot about debating the issue and not the person yet he is the first to talk about the person and not the issue.

"A lot of questions that he gets asked, he doesn't respond very well."

The leader's response

Cllr Finch described himself as "disappointed" and suggested that "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones", citing his version of a recent exchange with Cllr Boad. 

Cllr Finch said: "After cabinet I said 'see you later, have a lovely rest of your day'. She said 'not if I see you first', so she is just as bad. She won't allow a conversation with her, she doesn't say good morning, she's just very unpleasant in that sense."

He stood by previous comments on the image of Cllr Matecki. At the time, Cllr Finch said it had been "a joke" and that its removal from his platforms had been because it had "reached its potential and did what it needed to do", denying that it was taken down as a result of any complaint.

In relation to the video calling Chris Watkins "a squatter", Cllr Finch argued he had been "absolutely right" to make his point the way he did. Mr Watkins has since lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership and Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council subsequently asked for May's ballots to go ahead.

"For me to call out those actions (potentially cancelling elections) is well within my rights and well within what the people of Warwickshire would want me to do," he said.

"I will not take back the words I said about Councillor Watkins because I genuinely believe that would have been the case (had he still been leader)." 

Put to him that he could – indeed should – have made his points more respectfully, Cllr Finch referenced support received via social media.

"Every leader of a council has things to learn but my personal and political opinions won't just fade away because of the role I am in, they will always be there because I am a politician," he added.

"At times where they are trying to cancel the elections, there are huge pressures to make sure we get those over the line. 

"I was instrumental in adding that pressure at the borough council to get them to go ahead, the media campaign and the petitions that we did.

"I am not going back on that, I think I was right in everything I said. If the (county) council with the mechanisms they have find otherwise then that is the will of the council but I believe I was right in what I said about the leader of the borough council."

Who was behind the camera?

Cllr Finch was asked who was responsible for filming the now-deleted video about Chris Watkins.

He declined to answer further questions at that point and said he intended to seek advice from Ms Duxbury as to whether those who have publicised complaints have breached any confidentiality rules. He committed to contacting the Local Democracy Reporting Service "in about 30 minutes" once he had.

Two attempts were made to speak to Cllr Finch the following day. We are awaiting response.