The Hearing Sub-Committee of Warwickshire Council met on Monday 20 July 2026 to consider a complaint made against a member regarding his conduct in asking for the Pride flag to be removed from Shire Hall. The Sub-Committee decided, by a majority of two to one, that the member had not breached the Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct Complaint

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint lodged by the Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council, Monica Fogarty, concerning the conduct of Councillor George Finch, who was then Deputy Leader and acting Interim Leader of the Council. The complaint arose from an email sent by Councillor Finch on 26 June 2025, requesting the removal of the Pride flag flying at Shire Hall. The Chief Executive declined this request, leading to an exchange of emails and subsequent public commentary.

The complaint alleged that Councillor Finch had failed to engage in a conversation with the Chief Executive about the matter, despite her requests, and that all communication was conducted via email and public/social media. The relevant section of the Code of Conduct under consideration was paragraph 3(l), which states that a member must: Value my colleagues and staff and engage with them in an appropriate manner and one that underpins the mutual respect between us that is essential to good local government.

Claire Ward, the Investigating Officer, presented her report, stating that the facts of the case were not in dispute. She argued that Councillor Finch's failure to engage meaningfully with the Chief Executive, particularly when the matter was escalating and attracting media attention, constituted a failure to engage in an appropriate manner as required by the Code. She noted that the Chief Executive had felt undermined and isolated by the publicity.

Councillor Finch, representing himself, stated that he had simply conveyed his and his group's wishes, and those of the people who voted for Reform UK, to the Chief Executive. He defended his use of email, citing the audit trail it provided and the transparency it offered to his constituents. He also noted that the Investigating Officer had acknowledged his reasonable action in seeking advice from his political party.

The Independent Person advised the Sub-Committee to consider the public interest and the Nolan principles, emphasizing the importance of the complainant's perspective. They suggested that Councillor Finch could not have been unaware of the potential impact of his actions on the Chief Executive, despite the passage of time and the current good relationship between them.

Ultimately, the Sub-Committee, by a majority of two to one, concluded that while a face-to-face discussion might have been beneficial, the absence of such a discussion did not amount to a breach of the Code of Conduct. This decision was based on the lack of a specific definition for appropriate engagement within the Code or guidance from the Local Government Association (LGA). The majority felt that the Code did not mandate a specific form of communication or require a further response after a disagreement had been reached. One member of the Sub-Committee disagreed, siding with the Investigating Officer's finding of a breach.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Yousef Dahmash, Councillor Richard Dickson, and Councillor John Waine. Councillor Nicki Scott was also present. The Sub-Committee agreed to proceed with the hearing in public, noting that neither the complainant nor the Subject Member had objected and that transparency in member conduct was in the public interest. The legal advisor was Simon Goacher from Weightmans LLP, and the investigating officer was Claire Ward from Anthony Collins LLP. The final decisions can be found in the Decisions Monday 20-Jul-2026 14.00 Hearing Sub-Committee.pdf document.