A Reform UK councillor has resigned as leader of Warwickshire county council just five weeks after he was elected, leaving his 18-year-old deputy in the role.
The councillor, Rob Howard, said health problems were preventing him from continuing in his role “to the level and standard I would wish” as he stepped down after 41 days in office.
Howard’s deputy, 18-year-old George Finch, who was elected alongside him as a Reform councillor, will serve as an interim leader until a permanent replacement is chosen.
In a statement shared on the county council website on Wednesday, Howard said: “This has been a very difficult decision to take.
“The role of leader is an extremely demanding role and regretfully my health challenges now prevent me from carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish.”
Howard added that he felt honoured and privileged to have been in the role, even though he was in office for a matter of weeks, and pledged to continue working as a county councillor in Warwickshire.
In a statement, Finch said: “As interim leader I will ensure that this council is in steady hands until a new leader is elected by the group so that we can deliver meaningful results for Warwickshire. Our mission to deliver for residents remains unchanged.”
Finch, the councillor for Bedworth Central, was a Conservative party member for three months before joining Reform UK as he thought the party would better tackle illegal immigration.
On the New Reformer website, Finch described his politics as “Brexit, sovereignty and a strong and united family unit”.
The Tories have mostly controlled Warwickshire county council since its establishment in 1974, but the authority has been under Reform control since the party won 23 seats on 1 May. However, their victory fell short of the 29 needed for a majority.
Alternative leadership nominations were made for the Liberal Democrat councillor Jerry Roodhouse and the Green councillor Jonathan Chilvers.
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Twenty-eight councillors lent Howard their support in his selection as council leader while Roodhouse won 15 votes and Chilvers got 10.
In a statement released by Warwickshire Lib Dems, Roodhouse said Howard’s resignation was “regrettable, coming so soon after taking it on”.
He said: “The instability in the leadership of the Conservative-backed Reform UK group is not good news. It’s especially unwelcome when there are so many challenges facing the council, such as Send provision, adult social care and big highways projects.”
Reacting to Howard’s departure, the LabourMP for Warwick and Leamington, Matt Western, said the council was “descending into chaos”.
Western said that while he supported young people engaging with politics, he was concerned about an 18-year-old taking the reins at the council.
“I fear an 18-year-old as interim leader of the council risks throwing them in the deep end, and it will be residents who pay the price. Running a council with a £500m budget is not the place to learn on the job.”
