Handford Parish Council debacle

Quote from the BBC news article:

"Mr Tolver said he did not regret how he had acted in the meeting.
He said Ms Weaver was just present as a member of the public and "had no status to speak other than when invited".
"If you look at the first meeting you will see I have reason to be angry," he said."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-55946252

This type of man is incapable of accepting he is in the wrong. Even if everyone in the entire universe disagreed with him, this type would not back down.

I can't believe that standards of conduct haven't been breached.
They have
as per the Monitoring Officer notice on the council home page
BUT
there are no sanctions available
thanks Eric Pickles

I've watched the video of the meeting before this one and Aled reckoned he'd lodged papers at the high court about the illegality of the meeting and threatened members of the public with a non molestation order if they emailed him to ask for a copy of an agenda (that should have been public anyway).

This is all being investigated by the Council and sounds like by other bodies too so hopefully it will all come out in the wash. I can't believe that standards of conduct haven't been breached.

I'm an ex-councillor (several years ago) and have attended meetings in my new parish. Watching the video yesterday led to several flashbacks of poor behaviour and evenings that went on for two hours an indeterminable time.

Men like this (and it is usually men, although I have known a couple of women behave like this) are the reason people get put off joining local councils.

Completely agree with those upthread who've said a) these men won't recognise themselves as having repugnant behaviour and b) people don't see misogynistic bullying. It's too normalised.

I'd love this to be some kind of watershed moment, but I doubt it will be.

Jackie Weaver has become an Internet sensation. Most of the memes are about the fact that she did indeed have 'the authority'.

I think Jackie Weaver is great.

The old bullying men have definitely shown themselves up in this viral video. Everyone is laughing at them.

At present all Parish, District and County council meetings are broadcast online.

Not sure why this one went viral
but I've seen worse
(including the police being called to separate fighting councillors)

Many of that ilk of people have no shame
the only way to get them out is to beat them in an election

Men like this just assert that anyone who criticises his behaviour is WRONG! Simple as that. They are wrong and that is all he needs to justify his abusive behaviour. Lots of men think this way. Them being right (in their mind) is all the justification they need to start shouting and being abusive. The man in question may have been right (I don’t think he was?) but there are ways to challenge what you believe to be illegal or incorrect actions that don’t involve throwing a full on toddler tantrum.

I think the "innit funny" reaction comes mostly from men whose response is "what a twerp, he'd never speak like that to me, and if he dared try I'd wipe the floor with him"
Women thinking it funny are probably doing so safe in the knowledge that this man is never getting anywhere near them in real life.
But as many other women have pointed out, thank goodness this man was in a virtual room and not a real one. Because we know what men like this are capable of and we know what they'd do to assert their dominance over a woman who dares to challenge them.

It is funny because she got the better of them. It is funny because they said she had NO AUTHORITY and she showed she did by kicking them out. It is funny because those guys were shown to be absolute buffoons and I can imagine them seething and ranting about it.

Not overlooking the bullying and misogyny, cheering at how it was dealt with.

It is funny because those sad old men have been exposed.

Jackie knew what she was wading in to.

Behaviour at F2F meetings was often disgraceful too (physical assault is not as rare as it should be)

HOPEFULLY
this will force the Govt to bring forward the much delayed review on standards in public life

20% of Parish clerks resign every year ....

One of the things I love about this is that odious men around the country might now think they might be recorded and exposed.

The problem is that men like this don't see themselves as odious. That shouty bloke probably imagines most people who have seen his rant are in awe of his intellect, and anyone who isn't is too stupid to appreciate him, or a woman so doesn't count.

I just don't understand how people think this is funny.

It's like they're in the final scenes of an epic movie rather than a parish zoom meeting. Just so funny. Maybe think of it as like the boggart

Doing
Aled is the younger one.
The older one is his Dad
The awful shouty young one is the elected councillor

I'm confused though. Who is the younger man on "Aled's ipad"? Is he the VC or related to Aled? What a plank!! Am a bit disturbed to hear one is a solicitor, the behaviour was very unprofessional.

Jackie Weever was great. As was the other lady who highlighted the disrespect . PCs need more women like her to eloquently stand up to arseholes.
My elderly, very relgious and pro church, quiet and wonderful mum stood up to a male chairman in her PC who told them he was going to publish public support for our local clergyman (who was clearly under an investigation and subsequently charged) by asking would he clarify on that statement that it was his personal view. She was appalled. She also hates attention but this was the straw that broke the camels back.

First we heard was when the Chair had to house to house apologise to get a Council back as they all followed my mum!

[quote findyourbacon]Glad to hear Jackie knows the difference between sex and gender

twitter.com/skynews/status/1357727568334630914?s=21[/quote]
So elegantly done - Jackie Weaver absolutely rocks!

YOU HAVE NP AUTHORITY HERE, JACKIE WEAVER.

The delivery! I can't stop watching it.

Came here to see if anyone else was as dismayed as I was after watching this video. I'm actually more upset by the coverage and people's reaction to it than I am about the actual behaviour of the councillors! I just don't understand how people think this is funny. Either they genuinely can't see the misogynistic bullying, or they don't care.

Looks like Tolver and Brewerton like to throw their weight around www.facebook.com/groups/79403670525/permalink/10161598102625526/

I have put links to the relevant legislation on another thread so will not duplicate post
BUT

• Jackie does not work for that council
• she was well within her rights to act as she did
• she has been dealing with councillors for decades
• the clerk they tried to bully out is a bloke

If you do not like the way a parish council acts,
THE ELECTIONS ARE IN MAY
the only way to change them is to beat them

One of the things I love about this is that odious men around the country might now think they might be recorded and exposed.

Zoom has made it harder for them to hide away and be bullies in local meetings. This is a good thing 👍

Jackie is a legend.

I've just seen this on Sky news they introduced it in a joking way so I thought it would be some zoom blunder, but when the clip showed I was very triggered, my heart is still racing. I was in an abusive relationship and the way that man behaved just felt so abusive and it is all taken as a joke!
Jackie said she put the men in a waiting room, they were not kicked out the meeting. BUT once placed in the waiting room (due to their abuse I'm guessing) they decided to leave the meeting. Typical abusive behaviour from full size toddlers. Abusive behaviour by men in all areas of life needs to be taken more seriously. I don't care if she got it wrong or not in terms of following the archaic rules the behaviour of those men was disgraceful.

Apparently she did have authority.
The council chair, who was invited to chair that meeting, didn't recognise the legitimacy of the meeting (it was legitimate though) and so he will be unable to claim he was illegitimately booted from a meeting he didn't acknowledge was legitimate in the first place!
The newly elected chair of the (once again, legitimate extraordinary meeting) had no complaint about the decision of the clerk (Jackie), so that stands. And the members who were excluded were invited back from the meeting room but didn't respond.

Also there appears to be a gap in the standing orders which means there is no protocol for a chair to be removed if he himself is being disruptive or behaving badly. One can hardly be said to have breached a protocol which doesn't exist.