A prominent Green councillor has offered an olive branch to Warwickshire County Council's under-fire children's chief – but insisted he must accept it or go.

Portfolio holder for children and families, education and SEND Cllr Wayne Briggs is under intense pressure to resign or be stripped of his cabinet position after claiming the Pride movement has been "hijacked by groomers and mentally ill men in dresses gyrating in front of children" in an email to the chair of the council over the flying of the Pride flag.

Warwickshire Pride and the Liberal Democrat group at Shire Hall have called for his resignation from a position that was doubled up as recently as last month.

That shift saw Cllr Briggs handed political oversight of the organisation, sufficiency planning and governance of Warwickshire's schools, SEND and inclusion, early years and post-16 education, apprenticeships and training, child protection and safeguarding, children placed in the council's care, child exploitation, family support and social care for children with disabilities, child and adolescent mental health services, youth justice and children and family centres.

Despite the pressure, Cllr Briggs refused to apologise and stood by his views in a statement with leader Cllr George Finch – who has sole discretion over cabinet positions – also backing him.

Cllr Nicki Scott, recently appointed as joint-deputy leader of her group, stopped short of calling for him to step aside for now, offering to facilitate a meet-up for him to hear first hand the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in a "respectful environment out of the public glare".

Her statement blasted his use of "language and claims that we wholeheartedly condemn", adding: "We reject the baseless allegations and stand with people from the LGBTQ+ community.

"I think Cllr Briggs is fundamentally misunderstanding what the Pride flag is about. It's about people being able to love who they want to love in ways that don't cause harm to others. And about living in a free society where people are judged on their character rather than sexuality and identity. It's not about 'destroying the nuclear family' or anything else.

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"Listening to the stories of other people's lives can be part of a powerful process. If Cllr Briggs is ready to listen, I am happy to help facilitate him meeting people from the LGBTQ+ community to hear their stories and experience in a respectful environment out of the public glare."

Asked whether she supports calls for his resignation or sacking, Cllr Scott said she would feel compelled to if any remedy to the situation proved inadequate but expressed hope that would not come to pass.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There is the potential for good in everyone, you just need to have those conversations."

Cllr Scott was stronger on the follow-up statements from Cllr Briggs and Cllr Finch in which they stressed the email behind the storm was meant to be private and did not reflect the position of the council or the Reform UK administration and had not been made in Cllr Briggs's position as a cabinet member.

"It doesn't matter if you say it in a personal capacity or not, if you believe those things they will reflect in how you conduct your role," said Cllr Scott.