The leader of Warwickshire County Council's Conservatives has defended the voting decisions that helped hand power back to Reform UK and suggested critics should look at themselves.

Reform UK's Cllr George Finch won Tuesday's three-round leadership battle by the slimmest of margins, getting in through the chair's casting vote after a 23-all draw with Liberal Democrat Cllr Jerry Roodhouse. 

It gave Reform's Cllr Edward Harris the final say on who should lead and form the next administration, power that he handed to Cllr Finch. 

All nine Conservative councillors abstained from voting – declined to vote either way – in the two-way shootout having backed their leader Cllr Adrian Warwick in the first two rounds.

He was knocked out at that point having gained the lowest number of votes.

Cllr Roodhouse described himself as "disappointed in the Conservative group" having held discussions with them, the Green Party and others "to see what opportunities there were for cross-party working".

"They chose to abstain which put Reform back in control, which was what they did the first time," he said.

Asked if the Conservatives, who voted in favour of Reform UK taking power in May, had indicated that they might do something else, Cllr Roodhouse replied: "Yes. In the first couple of rounds they were voting but when it got down to two and it was 23-23, clearly the abstentions put it to the position where the chair had the casting vote."

However, Cllr Warwick insisted that members of his party were not whipped – ordered to toe the party line – and had taken the decision based on the inability of all of Reform's to unblock the impasse. 

"We all voted the same way because we decided we wanted a Conservative leader of the council," he said.

"There were discussions. The Liberals didn't want to build anything and neither did we, it was difficult because we didn't see common ground (with them) and we didn't see common ground with Reform. The best way to describe it is that we were left with 'none of the above' at the end. 

"We felt the best way forward was to offer our experience and try to take the lead again. 

"We have the experience of three ex-portfolio holders, scrutiny chairs and two ex-chairs of the council, the experience lay within our group and the Greens, Labour and the Liberals missed a golden opportunity to let that experience lead the administration. They clearly didn't want that.

"We were second in the popular vote across Warwickshire. Reform has certainly not done what you could call a spectacular job, I don't think any substantive business has been done other than carrying on with what we were doing (when the Tories were in power up until May).

"We have got into an enormous bust-up over a flag that was completely unnecessary – beyond that, what has really happened?

"We tried to act responsibly in offering our experience. Discussions would have had to happen but you could clearly see there was no cohesion on the left again, both left-leaning parties (Lib Dems and Greens) put up candidates – to me, they should have had a discussion to become a cohesive force beforehand."

Cllr Warwick went on to place greater emphasis on the two absent councillors – one Lib Dem and one independent who backed Cllr Roodhouse for leader in May. All other parties had a full complement for what was known to be heading for a tight vote.

"It is unfortunate but had the Liberals turned their people out and had no one missing, they would have formed the administration," he added. 

"Whatever they want to say, they didn't have a full complement and there was an independent missing who would probably have voted with them.

"The fact that we were torn and didn't see an option either way, that is not our fault, that is the fault of people not attending. They would have won.

"I'm not judging anyone in saying that, there may be personal reasons why individuals were not there, but we cannot be forced to make an invidious choice because other parties cannot turn their personnel out."