Reform teen council leader demands Bedworth MP retracts 'outrageous' personal attack'

[dutchman]

Shire Hall leader, councillor George Finch has called for Rachel Taylor, MP to retract comments she reportedly made at the Labour Party conference



Warwickshire's teenage Reform council leader has demanded Bedworth's MP retracts a 'outrageous' personal attack' against him. Councillor George Finch, the leader of the county council, has issued a public statement in which he says that Rachel Taylor, MP for Bedworth and North Warwickshire, needs to retract comments she made.

It has been reported that the local MP spoke out about the 19-year-old council leader during a discussion at the Labour Party conference. This was in regards to banning conversion therapy.

She quoted Cllr Finch saying that 'dads should be dads'. However, this comment was made by Cllr Finch at the Reform UK conference during a discussion about social services intervention with fathers.

The local MP reportedly told the discussion "I have to put up with a 19-year-old council leader in Warwickshire, someone who has said dads need to be dads. He was supposedly the best candidate.

"This sort of rhetoric has no place in the country."

This has led to the county council leader accusing the MP of making an 'unfounded and outrageous personal attack' on him. The Bedworth central ward representative has issued a post on social media, calling for Ms Taylor to retract her comments.

"She chose to represent my comments that 'dads need to be dads' as far right rhetoric when it's clear that I was promoting strong, involved fathers and advocating for protecting families against state over reach," the post says.

In it, he goes on to add that the MP should stop playing 'dangerous political games, and focus on tackling Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding issues. It comes after the council declared a SEND crisis, in which Cllr Finch admitted that the local authority is reaching breaking point over provision.

CoventryLive has contacted the local MP and in a statement, she said: "Nigel Farage thinks same sex marriage shouldn’t be legal and Cllr Finch is tearing down pride flags and threatening to strip back protections for women at risk of domestic abuse in Warwickshire.

"The dangerous rhetoric is coming from Reform UK."