An 18-year-old rising star in Reform UK who has become acting leader of a county council has won an apology from one of Britain’s most senior Conservatives. Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake mocked the appointment of George Finch as interim leader of Warwickshire County Council.

The top Tory said on social media that Reform is “clearly of the view that experience, expertise and basic adult life skills are wildly overrated”. But at a Local Government Association conference Mr Hollinrake apologised, saying: “In the noise and haze in politics, you don’t get everything right.”

He said that if his remarks were “ever seen as a personal criticism” of Mr Finch “that’s not what I meant at all”. Mr Hollinrake said it was a “really good thing” more young people are interested in politics and applauded him for becoming a councillor. He noted that Mr Finch had been compared to Pitt the Younger, who became prime minister at the age of 24.

He added: “And if you can run that council well, well, good luck to you.”

Mr Finch told the Express: “I appreciate Mr Hollinrake’s apology and acknowledgement that young people can act competently in politics. I want people to judge me not by my age, but by what I do.

“I’ve proven my capability in life, and my aptitude to real-world politics. In the local elections, I as local chairman led the campaign to get 13 out of 13 of our council candidates elected.

“Since then, I’ve put forward detailed plans to fix Warwickshire’s roads, reform our education system, and improve social care locally. I am fully focused on delivering for the people of Warwickshire and I am determined to prove the doubters wrong at the same time.”

A Reform UK spokesman said: “We welcome the fact Mr Hollinrake has seen sense and apologised for his premature judgement of Mr Finch and insulting suggestion that young councillors, including Conservatives, are not up to the job.”

Mr Hollinrake is not the only senior politician to taken a jab at Mr Finch’s success. Labour MP Preet Gill greeted his appointment by saying: “This is not work experience. This is not about learning on the job.”

She said the people of Warwickshire “frankly deserve better” and that “with all due respect” someone of his age will not know how to deliver social care and special educational needs services.