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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that Jackie Weaver is a hero to feminism?

591 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 06/02/2021 22:28

Because I refuse to believe that those appalling men would have spoken to another man the way they attempted to shout her down. She handled herself so beautifully.

Frankly I think she deserves to be Dame Jackie Weaver for services to common sense!

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMoonCup · 07/02/2021 09:33

@AuntieMarysCanary

The men's behaviour was appalling.

But Jackie is only a clerk- whose role it is to take minutes- and she didn't have the authority to cut people out of the meeting, whatever anyone says.

The clerk is not just a glorified typist.

askyourcouncil.uk/governance-toolkit/part-two-the-parish-clerk/

As the people in the meeting had apparently made it impossible for the usual Clerk to perform their duties, it was necessary to request her involvement.

askyourcouncil.uk/model-code-of-conduct/model-code-of-conduct-part-1/#obligations

Just a quick glance would suggest that the behaviour of these men would be prime examples of breaches of the following (in whatever form they appear in the PC's actual CoC;

You must treat others with respect

You must not...bully any person...intimidate or attempt to intimidate any person who is...involved in the administration of any investigation or proceedings...

You must not conduct yourself in a manner which could reasonably be regarded as bringing your office or authority into disrepute

DoctorHildegardLanstrom · 07/02/2021 09:34

Having watched a few of the previous ones, there was something very improper going on, other than the bullying

I think the underlining factor might have been money going missing or not used properly. I am very curious where the £5,000 is, that was mentioned in one meeting.

JKRismyhero · 07/02/2021 09:35

I love her

Eleganz · 07/02/2021 09:37

@MyKingdomForACaramel

I get a feeling that - if the media focus carries on that the “read the standing orders” man won’t come off very well. They’ve already dug out his LinkedIn profile and it looks suspect as hell to me.
Look at a lot of local councillors. Most look dodgy when closely inspected. It is the supreme disinterest in local elections that allows these people to be elected and remain elected officials for decades. Yet local issues matter and people care when things happen near them that they don't like. I would encourage people who are looking at this thing in horror, like I am, to vote in their local elections and really try and find out who they are voting for.

Saying that, the parish council's planning committee has very little authority. It is a statutory consultee only and can be ignored. That is why the outcome of each planning submissions is just "support", "no objection" or "objection".

Ihatefish · 07/02/2021 09:38

@Viviennemary

It's for the electorate to decide who represents them at meetings. Not Jackie Weaver.
Sometimes you don’t need votes to represent the daily lives of half the population
Eleganz · 07/02/2021 09:40

@DoctorHildegardLanstrom

Having watched a few of the previous ones, there was something very improper going on, other than the bullying

I think the underlining factor might have been money going missing or not used properly. I am very curious where the £5,000 is, that was mentioned in one meeting.

Absolutely. There is a formal investigation going on at the moment. It is also no coincidence that the chief officer of the local councils association was there to clerk the meeting.
NeverDropYourMoonCup · 07/02/2021 09:40

@DoctorHildegardLanstrom

Having watched a few of the previous ones, there was something very improper going on, other than the bullying

I think the underlining factor might have been money going missing or not used properly. I am very curious where the £5,000 is, that was mentioned in one meeting.

And as the usual Clerk is likely (not in all cases, sometimes a separate Financial officer is appointed) to have responsibility for the financial records, no wonder the Clerk would be asking for support if there's possible issues.

It's also notable that the original Chair had self appointed himself Clerk, too. When there is a possible financial irregularity, that's the last thing somebody sensible would do, particularly taking into account the apparent desperation to exclude the Chief Officer as well as the actual Clerk.

A suspicious person might wonder if there was something they wished to prevent coming to light...

MajorMujer · 07/02/2021 09:42

Jackie Weaver is the ultimate example of grace under pressure.
I will strive to be more Jackie Weaver.

lidoshuffle · 07/02/2021 09:43

"GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN JACKIE"

Arobase · 07/02/2021 09:43

Brewerton so fancies himself as a lawyer and seems to love trying to override people by claiming he knows more about the law and even threatening legal action. But his knowledge of the law is laughable. In the January meeting, he reads out a long chunk of what he claims to be counsel's advice then claims that he doesn't have to provide a copy because it's privileged, which is just absurd. Then he makes it even worse by saying that if people ask him for it he will get a non-molestation injunction - not a hope in hell.

I do hope he's aware that real, practising lawyers are all laughing at him.

wintermoths · 07/02/2021 09:45

[quote HenriettaHeffalump]Jackie Weaver the opera, for anyone who hasn't seen it:

[/quote] That's brilliant! Made me laugh and laugh!
middleager · 07/02/2021 09:45

Jackie rocks!

Arobase · 07/02/2021 09:47

It's for the electorate to decide who represents them at meetings. Not Jackie Weaver.

The ejected councillors decided for themselves by behaving before the meeting in a manner that caused them to be put in the waiting room, and subsequently refusing to abide by the councillors' code of conduct so that they could be let back in.

Jackflash06 · 07/02/2021 09:47

NC for this but she i has turned into a local hero .I live in the same village, I thought I had seen her before when I was watching her on TV.

HenriettaHeffalump · 07/02/2021 09:49

@wintermoths, oh God, yes, that opera is my new favourite thing, (other than Jackie Weaver). So funny.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 07/02/2021 09:53

I don't understand the Britney Spears reference?

wintermoths · 07/02/2021 09:55

[quote MyKingdomForACaramel]The last paragraph of this report tells me exactly what type of people they are. “I suggest you keep very quiet as we are lawyers”. Hmm
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jackie-weaver-handforth-parish-council-latest-b1798444.html?amp[/quote]
That article is brilliant. This!
*Someone else who isn’t talking, as it turns out, is Councillor Brewerton, the one who lost his temper.

When The Independent phones, a man calling himself a lawyer – but declining to give his name – picks up.

“I suggest you keep very quiet on this,” he says, apparently not aware there are literally already mugs and T-shirts on sale referencing the whole affair. “You are talking to a lawyer. There are three lawyers in the [Brewerton] family … You are now at the top of our list.”

A list of what isn’t made clear*

HenriettaHeffalump · 07/02/2021 09:56

When the chair says he is the Clerk and Jackie Weaver is not, Jackie Weaver said "I can't stop him from calling himself the Clerk, so from now on, please refer to me as Britney Spears" 💥💕

wintermoths · 07/02/2021 09:56

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

I don't understand the Britney Spears reference?
When that bloke decided to call himself the clerk, JW said she wanted people to now call her Britney Spears.
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 07/02/2021 09:58

Oh she most definitely is but it's so sad that we're turning her into a 'hero' when it should be the norm that women don't take nonsense from men or anybody else.

Jackie Weaver was also quite deft with 'Cyn' who was disruptive in her own way.

I really hope the cheerleading calms down though because the intensity of it seems to burn people out and they quickly become tired of the shiny new toy. This 'toy' needs to be kept out because it's really important.

The merchandising of this woman is pathetic though... all about some making a quick buck off a woman's back.

HenriettaHeffalump · 07/02/2021 09:58

A list of what isn't made clear

🤣

Good God. These are some dickheads!

bigbluebus · 07/02/2021 10:01

Those saying that Jackie Weaver is not an elected representative, neither, in many cases, are the Parish Councillors. Elections are only held if sufficient candidates come forward to fill the allotted spaces. If there are not enough 'bums on seats' then the candidates take up the positions without the local population getting a vote.

LizzieSiddal · 07/02/2021 10:01

I love that woman and hope many other women are able to channel her poise and strength when next faced with a raving misogynist.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 07/02/2021 10:01

wintermoths Ah I see, I thought it was something more involved than that. Grin

LizzieSiddal · 07/02/2021 10:03

And yes it’s going to be very interesting to see what the raging male, is so upset about. Could he trying to hide something.