Complaint lodged against Reform UK council leader George Finch after he calls for trans books to be removed from libraries

Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch is facing a fresh code of conduct complaint after saying books containing what he described as "contested gender ideology" should be removed from the county's libraries.

The Reform UK councillor said he had received complaints from residents about some children's books and argued libraries should "not seek to embolden political ideologies" that are "highly charged and polarising". He said such ideas should not be "taught to children as pure fact".

Speaking to BBC CWR, Finch said his concerns related to trans issues rather than sexuality. Refusing to identify any specific books, he said: "Kids should be taught how to be good people, not if they want to be a boy or a girl - that's completely irrelevant."

In a later statement, Finch said Warwickshire's libraries should be "politically neutral, family-friendly" and should not promote political causes. He added that material involving "sex, gender, identity or other social or medical issues" should be presented in an "age-appropriate and responsible way".

He said a new policy would be developed "thoughtfully and lawfully" to give parents "peace of mind that their children are not being told to believe one set of political ideas over any other". The policy would apply not only to libraries but to all council-owned public spaces.

Following his comments, Warwickshire Pride submitted a formal code of conduct complaint, saying his remarks further marginalised LGBTQ+ people. The group said treating LGBTQ+ identities as a political ideology rather than "the lived reality of thousands of people" was both misleading and harmful, and warned against using libraries as "tools for political censorship".

The complaint comes after an independent investigation found Finch breached the council's code of conduct over comments that could have jeopardised a child rape case. Other complaints relating to his social media activity are also understood to remain under investigation.

Warwickshire County Council said it could not comment, describing the matter as a political issue. Opposition politicians and LGBT+ groups also criticised Finch's proposals, arguing libraries should remain places of learning, inclusion and free access to information.