COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Warwickshire chief executive accused of ‘subverting democracy’ by party’s Zia Yusuf



A council chief executive has defied the authority’s new Reform leadership by refusing to take down a Pride flag.

George Finch, the new leader of Warwickshire county council, ordered Monica Fogarty to take down the banner flying outside county hall in line with the party’s manifesto policy to only fly British flags.

But Ms Fogarty refused, saying: “I am afraid I will not be taking the action that you are requesting.”

Zia Yusuf, the head of Reform’s department of government efficiency, claimed the refusal showed that “a coup d’etat is under way in Britain”. He accused Ms Fogarty of “subversion of democracy” and acting like the “monarch of Warwickshire”.

Mr Yusuf said: “Unelected bureaucrats are defying instructions from duly elected officials. They’ve seized control of the country, sabotaging the will of the people.”

Reform won the most seats in Warwickshire during local elections in May, when it secured a foothold in local government for the first time. It won 22 seats and now runs the county as a minority administration.

The party’s local election pledges included only flying the Union Flag and other British symbols such as the St George’s Cross outside municipal venues.

The banner flown was not the traditional rainbow flag but the more recent Progress Pride one, which includes the colours of the trans rights movement.

Mr Yusuf said: “The CEO of Warwickshire council has said they will not follow the instructions of elected officials, and has effectively declared themselves the supreme ruler and monarch of Warwickshire.

“They’re drawing huge salaries at your expense, and then refusing to carry out simple instructions given to them by the people you voted for. We’ve always known this was going on, but now, we have proof.

“The council leader instructed the chief executive of the council, the lead civil servants, to action the flag policy. The response he got was extraordinary: the unelected bureaucrat dictating terms to the duly elected representative of the people. While there are no tanks on the streets, this is a coup.

“I have some news for the CEO of Warwickshire council. You are not the monarch of Warwickshire. You are a public servant. The people voted for change, and your obstruction is nothing less than the subversion and sabotage of democracy.”

Mr Yusuf claimed that “this has been going on for years, and it’s one reason why your quality of life has got so much worse”.

He added: These people are drunk on their own power, and for decades have been totally unaccountable. Until now – Reform elected officials are fighting back. Unlike the two old parties, Reform will fight for you.

“We will expose where this is happening, demand compliance with democratic leadership and use all available legal powers to hold such people to account.”

Reform flag policy strips council boss of power



Reform UK-led Warwickshire County Council has stripped its chief executive of the power to decide which flags are flown outside the council's headquarters.

The move follows a row over the decision to fly a Progress Pride Flag outside of Shire Hall, in Warwick, during Pride Month in June.

Councillor George Finch had asked for the flag to be removed when he was elected as leader of the council, but chief executive Monica Fogarty refused.

The council's cabinet has now voted to hand the decision-making power to the council chairman, Reform councillor Edward Harris.

The Pride Progress flag is a redesigned rainbow flag, with additional colours to represent a wider range of marginalised communities.

Previously, Fogarty held responsibility for deciding which flags could be flown.

Explaining the new flag policy during the cabinet meeting on 4 September, Finch said: "It takes it out of the hands of the elected leader, it takes it out of the hands of non-elected members, it puts it in the hands of the chairman of the council."

He insisted the move was about unity and said that was why he thought only the Union Flag, the St George's Cross or the County Flag of Warwickshire should fly outside Shire Hall.

Finch added: "This county, everyone that's in it, is identified by three things. The United Kingdom, England and our county."

But he did not rule out other flags flying in the future, suggesting such decisions would be "at the discretion of the chair".

The new flag policy does not require the council chairman to publicly explain decisions on which flags he will not allow to be flown.

Warwickshire County Council LGBTQ+ staff find Reform UK flag policy 'deeply unsettling'



LGBTQ+ staff at Warwickshire County Council have spoken of the "deeply unsettling" impact of Reform UK's proposed flag policy at the authority. The Cabinet, formed of Reform councillors, passed a motion placing control of which flags fly at Shire Hall in the hands of the council chairman, rather than the chief executive.

The move came following a demand from new leader George Finch that the LGBTQ progress pride flag be taken down in June. The council chief executive refused.

Following the passing of the new proposed policy, a letter authored by Angela Dunne, chair of Warwickshire County Council's LGBTQ+ staff network, urged that Reform UK's new flag policy be modified to restore the Progress Pride flag to the standard schedule throughout June – Pride month.

The flag had been displayed for several years with the council's chief executive Monica Fogarty having been granted delegated powers to determine what was flown at the front of the building.

Nevertheless, new leader Councillor George Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central) demanded that the Progress Pride flag be removed before June's conclusion this year. Ms Fogarty declined, triggering a public row that saw the council's most senior officer attacked by prominent Reform UK figures, including leader Nigel Farage MP.

Warwickshire's fresh policy, aligned with Reform's position outlined ahead of May's local elections, stipulates that only the UK, England and county flags will be flown routinely with provisions made for armed forces and Royal flags.

Applications can be submitted for any other flag to be raised but they will be assessed at the "sole discretion" of the council chair – a role currently occupied by Reform UK's Councillor Ed Harris (Baddesley & Dordon). The policy received cabinet approval on Thursday, September 4, though it has since been suspended after more than four councillors called for a review, with some arguing it should have gone before full council as a new policy.

A special meeting of the resources, fire and rescue overview and scrutiny committee will take place at Shire Hall on Monday, September 22 (10am), where all relevant concerns will be considered and whether the cabinet should be asked to reconsider.

Ms Dunne's letter was submitted prior to the original decision with a request for it to be recorded in the meeting minutes and addressed. The correspondence pointed out that the Pride flag had been displayed in previous years, emphasising its role in fostering a welcoming environment for staff and the practical advantages of continuing the tradition.

"During the recent staff engagement sessions, many employees highlighted the council's inclusive culture as one of the key reasons they chose to work here and a major factor in their decision to stay," Ms Dunne wrote.

"This reputation is not only a source of pride, it is a strategic asset. When staff feel valued and represented they are more likely to remain in their roles, reducing turnover and the significant costs associated with recruitment, onboarding and lost productivity.

"Visible celebrations of diversity – such as flying the Pride flag – play a vital role in reinforcing this inclusive environment and making Warwickshire County Council an attractive employer that retains talented individuals, fosters organisational stability and safeguards public resources."

She contended that providing the Pride flag with a permanent spot on the flag-flying rota "would undoubtedly demonstrate the council's obligations towards diversity, inclusion, and the wellbeing of all communities represented in Warwickshire".