The ex-chair of Warwickshire County Council is "considering" stepping down as a councillor altogether having had two rental properties closed over "serious safety failures". 

Cllr Ed Harris has come under fire after Tamworth Borough Council announced it had shut down two six-bed houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) that he owns.

It alleged he had "repeatedly failed to take action on warnings and advice" on problems with central heating and hot water, fire and smoke detection, cooking facilities and access.

Cllr Harris said he was "contrite", took "full accountability" and vowed to get the properties up to scratch but insisted that there was "much more context" to the information released, disputing Tamworth Borough Council's description of him as a "rogue landlord". 

He initially stated he would not resign either as chair – the civic leader – of the county council or as an elected official but calls for an investigation and for him to step back while that takes place ramped up once his connection to the properties had been confirmed.

By the end of the following day, Reform UK announced Cllr Harris had given up the chair and temporarily relinquished his party membership "whilst the matter is investigated", stating he would continue to serve as an independent councillor.

When approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, county council leader Cllr George Finch declined to divulge who would lead the investigation or comment on what action he would take if it found any wrongdoing.

Cllr Harris was then approached and did not wish to comment further on the matter itself at this stage but confirmed that he was "considering my position as councillor". 

Cllr Finch, interviewed prior to our conversation with Cllr Harris, was asked whether Reform UK had instigated Cllr Harris giving up the chair and the party whip. 

"The press has already said what it needed to say, I'm not going to comment any further regarding this situation," said Cllr Finch.

"It has been a busy few days, of course. Everyone has jumped on the headlines and the story without giving proper due process so there is no point in me giving any further statement on top of what I said yesterday. There is nothing more to add."

Cllr Finch declined to comment on who would be investigating the matter. Put to him that members of the public would expect to know, he said: "Everyone has had their time with the headlines, with the story. Everyone has tried to jump on the political bandwagon and use this. There is nothing more to add, it is just going to feed more media frenzy."

The leader also refrained from commenting on what action he would take if any wrongdoing is deemed proven but said that "other journalists have been hounding the comms team but there is nothing more to add, he's resigned, it is done". 

Whatever else happens, a new chair must be elected ahead of Warwickshire's budget-setting meeting on Thursday (February 5).

Cllr Finch said Reform UK had yet to discuss any candidates for the post and didn't wish to speculate on the position of other parties but expressed hope that the vote would be concluded "swiftly" when the next week's meeting kicks off "so we can get on with the budget".

"That's a bigger priority for the people of Warwickshire at this moment in time," he concluded.