The leader of Warwickshire County Council's Conservative group has moved to scotch suggestions of a 'unite the right' pact with Reform UK. 

Cllr Adrian Warwick expressed frustration over the narrative attached to the Tories voting with Reform to delay a decision on the county's 2026-27 budget. 

Their agreement to vote down a last-minute Liberal Democrat and Green Party budget plan, based on a 4.99 council tax rise, was followed by an adjournment by 25 votes to 23. The Tories and Reform both advocated lower council tax rises.

That all happened in a fractious finish to a 10-hour slog which saw former Tory councillor Clare Golby, husband of current Reform UK councillor Nigel Golby (Stockingford), watch on from the public gallery. 

During the meeting, Mrs Golby left the public area to confer with Reform UK's political assistant before returning to her seat next to his Conservative counterpart.

That came a matter of days after she published a social media video with Warwickshire County Council leader Councillor George Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central) which featured the question: 'Can we unite the right?'

It follows on from rival political groups questioning how close the Tories are to Reform after they backed initial leader Councillor Rob Howard (Attleborough) into office and abstained from the tied vote that saw Cllr Finch elevated to the top job through the casting vote of then-Reform chair Councillor Ed Harris (Baddesley & Dordon).

It is particularly relevant with Reform UK running the council without a majority. If all other parties vote against them, Reform can't win, but if a compromise results in Tory support then their policy is almost certain to pass.

advertisement

Cllr Warwick played down Mrs Golby's presence, stating she "had come to meet her husband". 

"She obviously knows people. I don't see anything unusual about that, she is married to a Reform councillor. She turned up and she is still interested in politics," he continued.

He said he hadn't seen Mrs Golby leave the public gallery but added: "As for uniting the right, that's easy to do – they can all come and join the Conservative party when they have seen the light!"

As for his group backing Reform, Cllr Warwick insists nothing has changed.

"When the Liberals, Labour and Greens vote together as left-of-centre parties, does anyone say anything? No," he said.

"My party is right of centre. Reform, you could argue, is right of centre, although some of their policies certainly aren't.

"We are probably going to have more in common with them then we have with the left but we are not Reform and that is why we sit as Conservatives.

"I always find it unusual that nothing is said if the Liberals and Greens vote together, as they always do, but it is a big deal if Reform and the Conservatives do so – I wish there was a little more fair play and equity about how the voting is going. 

advertisement

"No one has taken Reform to task more than my group has recently with some of the motions we have moved.

"We need to have common sense. Warwickshire has to function, Reform has the most seats and therefore the first call on (forming) the administration. 

"We have said that we will look at it vote by vote. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, we won't (vote for it). 

"We haven't dashed into forming a budget with them. We tried to get a consensus and I hope that consensus can still be reached but at some point, a budget has got to be either produced or enforced upon Warwickshire."

He also defended the decision not to consider a Liberal-Green budget that landed so late in the last meeting. 

"I wasn't at all comfortable with that," said Cllr Warwick.

"I wasn't going to make a decision on Warwickshire's finances at 7.50 on a Thursday night – we needed to sensibly sit down and consider what was before us. 

"Other groups had seen it well in advance. They could have shared it with the Conservatives if they genuinely wanted to work with us (and that) does leave me with a concern.

advertisement

"I hope they want to work with us but I can't force them to."

On today's (February 17) reconvened budget meeting, Cllr Warwick said: "We will look to work with those who want to work with us."