Are your Zoom meetings ever like this? Parish Council meeting descends into chaos

[chomalungma]

There is some awful behaviour on here.

It breaks down badly at 4 minutes.

@Indecisivelurcher you’ll have the good stories then?

Awful rude men yelling at a woman

Haven’t rtft who videoed and released it I wonder

@Colate I have found out that my particular area of town doesn’t fall under any specific parish and is represented by one ‘county councillor’ which poses more questions that it answered

On further research I have found a website for my parish council (of sorts, think 1996 geocities!).

A+++++ cultural reference point.

Aled Brewerton is the Vice Chairman - that's what he vitriolically screams what Jackie the Leg. asks about appointing a chairman.

It's in the video that they agree to put it on YouTube. It was a public meeting with at least two members of the public attending anyway.

When, not what

@minchinfin

He's called Cllr Aled Brewerton

His LinkedIn profile says he is "Experienced Solicitor with a demonstrated history of working in the legal services industry. Skilled in Legal Assistance, Arbitration, Dispute Resolution" - really?

Can he be sacked?

Dispute resolution! The man seems unhinged, and it's clear from the second video, about a couple of months later, that his 'anger at women in particular problem' hasn't abated. I wouldn't trust him to sort out any dispute at all. What is especially worrying, and to those saying, "It's a load of misogynist old blokes", is that this arsehole isn't even that old. 40's at a guess. Those of us 50's 60's have almost grown to expect the old blokes to often behave like this, but you would hope that the younger ones knew better. Not in this case, apparently. I would like to think there was more willy waving cos he was in his own front room (or he still lives at home, which would explain a lot) but I expect that any woman pa he works with probably would have some horrific stories to tell

Oh, I feel really rather sad. I've never volunteered for anything like this because I suspected it would be like this, but I hoped I was wrong.

There was a second video

in which I think it was said that Aled, the worst angry shouty man, had formerly been a solicitor. Words fail me.

Surely there should be a quick and easy procedure to remove anyone who displayed such intemperate behaviour? How have we designed a system in which it's always the most difficult, angry, self-obsessed and bureaucratic/ legalistic people who take over? Why

It can be done differently. Not so long ago I'm sure I heard a programme on Radio 4 about a town council in Dorset (Bridport?) which had been taken over by community activists and was being run in a much more open and accessible way.

I watched both videos totally transfixed, thank god for Sue and Jackie Weaver, the only reasonable voices of reason.

How on earth do they get things done fairly?

You can't discipline elected officials in any meaningful way- that would disenfranchise the people who voted for him. Equally, you can't discipline difficult members of the public.

As a result, hours and hours are wasted managing situations like this. I've been there. It's awful. Code of conduct complaints, compliance officers, Association of local clerks involvement etc.

My neighbouring PC can't get a clerk or enough Cllrs because of the bullying of a small local residents group who failed to take over the council a few years ago.

A PC I'm involved with has been targeted by a really difficult guy who is hugely enthusiastic but has no idea how things work. He thinks persistence and nagging and shouting should make things happen- so loads of people won't work with him. If he gets on at the next election, everyone else will leave.

It's a bleddy nightmare. It only works if there are plenty of competent people prepared to stand.

Right at the beginning, does someone say Fuck Off!? grin

It's brilliant, isn't it. You know it won't be a sedate affair.

Those bullies, well done Jackie Weaver for sorting them out.

I did love Julie's iPad contribution as well.

I think it was said that Aled, the worst angry shouty man, had formerly been a solicitor.

Think he still is Shed. Also a trustee of a religious charity helping former prisoners.

I'm sure he wasn't, being a lawyer and a parish councillor, but he looked and sounded as high as a kite.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Right at the beginning, does someone say Fuck Off!? grin

It's brilliant, isn't it. You know it won't be a sedate affair.

Those bullies, well done Jackie Weaver for sorting them out.

I did love Julie's iPad contribution as well.

Just brilliant the whole thing!

The thing is these men have got so focused on “who is in power” that they have lost all ability to do the role.

One of the wives is even commenting to the media it’s a “power grab” It’s the fucking parish council. How sad do you have to be to think you’re in power because you’re on the parish council

People think the parish council can do things, that they would be able to achieve so much... in reality it's a slow and tedious way to work. We are slow and tedious, not because we are lazy and can't be arsed to do anything, but because it's a slow and tedious field. It can take many months to get a bench installed in a bus shelter. It's taken some years to hold a contractor/landowner to account to maintain the land they are responsible for and now involves legal stuff. It's a quagmire and takes many hours of unpaid work. It's rewarding when things go well, but flippin' disheartening when they don't.

@HandforthParishCouncilTurfWar

I think my favourite bit though, just summing up the utter futility, was this

‘One member has not been to any council meetings in the past six months - the fact that there were no meetings is irrelevant’

That was my favourite bit too hahahaha What does it even mean??

Jackie Weaver should have taken over from John Bercow.

Such is my boring life just now, I'm saving this for later!

OOh I love our Annual Parish Meeting, it's great fun. I am usually 'set up' to speak for or against something (as one of my besties is parish clerk) with hilarious results from folk who frankly don't keep up with local parish goings on and want to complain at every turn eg the lady (who it turns out later doesn't actually live IN the parish) complained because the new swing park that opened at great expense to the parish did not have sufficient activities for her disabled grandchild. It had about 4 or 5 things out of 10 the disabled child could do. It was carefully researched following a poll from residents as to what was wanted and argued over for about 5 years beforehand, always a hot topic at Parish Meetings. Anyhow it was my 'job' to speak after this lady and point out had she attended the previous 4 or 5 PMs she'd be well aware of what had been requested by the parishioners and how long it had taken to raise the additional funding, and if she was so concerned about lack of suitable play area why wasn't she on the PC parks sub committee. (sits down to round of applause)

We love a bun fight - and the obligatory cheese and wine supplied by the farm shop afterwards! Really missed not doing last year's one, not the same on Zoom.

The bit that made me properly LOL in the first video is the man who was stuck on mute and then when he finally gets his chance he only manages "Er, um" before he gets cut off 🤣🤣

@Gingersnaphappy

I'm not a regular listener, but I'm sure there was an Archers story line where one of the younger female characters tried to, or did, get elected to the local parish council and managed to ruffle a few feathers among the old guard.

I suspect this will have given the scriptwriters a few ideas. Looking forward to the storyline about nutters sabotaging parish council meetings and treating Emma the same way some of this lot treated Jackie Weaver.

Is the second video after the Jackie Weaver one has happened?

Aleds IPad is such a monumental arsehole I do hope no poor woman is saddled with that lump of useless tossweasel

Information about Local Councils
www.nalc.gov.uk/about-local-councils
Information about becoming a councillor
www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/local-elections

Information about the organisation Jackie Weaver runs
www.chalc.org.uk/whats-new.html

Information about bringing back standards rules
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-committee-on-standards-in-public-life

Information about bullying in the public sector
www.slcc.co.uk/parish-council-meeting-goes-viral-slcc-press-release/

Children wouldn't behave this way. Unbelievable!

@wowfudge

Aled Brewerton is the Vice Chairman - that's what he vitriolically screams what Jackie the Leg. asks about appointing a chairman.

It's in the video that they agree to put it on YouTube. It was a public meeting with at least two members of the public attending anyway.

Aled Brewerton on a google search used to be a solicitor but is now a PI.

Wonder if something happened so he left the legal field?!