Reform council leader vows 'party will NOT go woke' as local authority replaces flags with Christmas lights

Flags started to be hoisted back in the summer with Britons brandishing flags on lamposts and buildings, as well as painting St George's crosses on mini-roundabouts and pedestrian crossings.

Although some claimed the movement stirred up division, others insisted it was a movement driven by national pride, including Warwickshire's leader George Finch.

Now, with the threat of the flags' removal on Reform's watch, GB News star Martin Daubney questioned Mr Finch on whether he was presiding over a woke decision.

"Reform in Warwickshire has not gone woke. We cannot go woke in Warwickshire," Mr Finch insisted.

He said private contractors were to blame for the decision, rather than the council itself. However, he argued it was a pragmatic decision, nonetheless.

"Let's be completely frank. This is a pragmatic way forward. And looking at some of the flags now, they are deteriorating on these flag posts," Mr Finch said.

"So we want to bring them down, which is fine, clean them, refresh them, and the people can put them back up in January in the new year.

"It's a complete, pragmatic, common sense way forward. And I think Reform would like to see our flags put up lovely and clean."

Mr Finch previously spoke out about how private contractors warned the authority about safety concerns over causing potential fires if Christmas lights and flags were to fly simultaneously.

He said: "As long as I'm leading the council, the flags are there to stay, but we have to make sure that Christmas, biggest Christian festival of the year, is adhered to.

"Christmas is a time where, especially with this Labour Budget and this Labour Government hurting families, I want the young children in Warwickshire to feel that magic of Christmas.

"I do know that the the high cost of energy, the high cost of presents and food is going to hurt loads of families. And I just want to make sure that they can feel every spirit of Christmas."

"I've been to the German markets in Birmingham, the light switch on in my town in Bedworth, and to see so many young people looking at the lights, it's amazing.

"I don't want flags or anything to get in the way of people enjoying that one time in the year when they can stay as a family and really enjoy themselves, especially with this Labour disaster Government that's going to hurt everybody."

The 18-year-old council leader added he "didn't want Christmas to be cancelled" and urged Britons to return the flags once January rolled around.

Across the UK, councils have splashed tens of thousands of pounds to remove flags that were first raised over the summer.

More than 380 local authorities have spent at least £70,000 taking down the Union Jacks and St George’s Crosses, Freedom of Information requests revealed.

While Yorkshire councils forked out more than £30,000 to remove the flags, as The Observer noted, Medway council spent close to £12,000 to yank down 727 flags across Kent.

The authority claimed to have done this "to make the community feel safe again".

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