Reform UK councillors, having recently become the largest party in Warwickshire county council, approved a £150,000 expenditure for hiring political advisers. George Finch, the newly elected leader, proposed the funding despite criticisms. This decision sparked protests, especially after Finch's prior controversial actions regarding a Pride flag. Opposition members argued that the hiring contradicts Reform's pledge to reduce waste and manage public funds prudently. They highlighted a lack of budget proposals from Reform and framed the spending as unnecessary in light of the council's financial challenges.
George Cowcher, councillor and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, expressed concerns about the proposal, stating, "These proposals are all about spending some money so they can have a chum in their group and I think that is not particularly helpful given the financial state of this council."
Sam Jones, a Green party councillor, criticized Reform UK by saying, "Reform have had a sniff of power, they're making it so clear that they never cared a jot for the will of their supporters." He added, "No to overpaid, unelected bureaucrats before the election, but yes to up to 150,000 of unfunded spending on political assistants now the campaigning is over."
#reform-uk #warwickshire-county-council #political-funding #councillor-accountability #local-elections
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