Jackie Weaver using her authority and national icon status to heal Handforth Parish Council five years on

It was the Zoom meeting from hell that captivated the nation.

Handforth Parish Council became an internet sensation in February 2021 when its Planning and Environment Committee descended into mutiny, swearing and full-blown strops.

One Jackie Weaver became the viral video’s breakout star, even facing calls to take over as Prime Minister.

Five years on, she reveals what Handford Parish Council is like now and her ‘terrifying’ experience of global fame.

Ms Weaver, from Whitchurch in Shropshire, told Metro: ‘It surprises the heck out of me when I see my name is the answer to a TV quiz question – that people still remember.

‘People still come up to me asking for an autograph and a selfie.

‘I am a very dull person. It would never have occurred to me to go up to someone to take their picture.’

The fateful meeting took place two months before a recording of it was discovered and shared by 17-year-old politics student Shaan Ali.

Ms Weaver, from the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (CALC), had taken on the role of clerk at the council’s December planning and environment meeting.

The committee’s chairperson Brian Tolver refused to recognise the authority of the meeting and infamously told her: ‘You have no authority here, Jackie Weaver.’

Ms Weaver then removed Mr Tolver from the Zoom call and placed him in the waiting room, leading vice-chairperson Aled Brewerton to yell at her to ‘read the standing orders’.

Fellow councillor Susan Moore called for civility – but the meeting erupted into semi-hysterical laughter and two further councillors, Mr Brewerton and Barry Burkill, were also kicked out.

Those remaining voted to not allow the three men back into the meeting, with councillor Cynthia Samson likening one to a ‘laughing hyena’.

After it was posted online, the video became an instant sensation and was watched across the world.

Ms Weaver, who is now the chief officer for CALC, said the endless interviews and invites that came with her internet stardom ‘took its toll’.

‘I had not appreciated how much I was putting into it,’ she explained.

‘Two and a half years later, I was still really busy. All sorts of invitations appeared and I tried to do every one I possibly could.

‘Nobody is interested in local government. I went into it thinking I’ve got to make the most of it.’

Reflecting on her TV and radio appearances, she added: ‘I put it down as a terrifying and interesting part of my life.’

‘I have never done any of it before. I never did much public speaking. It was terrifying.’

One of the invites Ms Weaver accepted was to turn on the Christmas lights in Handforth.

By then, three of the council’s most troublesome members had stepped down, something she said had allowed councillors to work more effectively for their constituents.

Five years after the chaos of that Zoom meeting, the council is now ‘getting on brilliantly’, she explains.

Ms Weaver added: ‘People were coming up and talking to their councillors – it was a delight to see.

‘Now the council does not have the internal battles it used to deal with, it is making a difference in the community. Great stuff.’

It actually turned out that Ms Weaver ‘did not have the authority to manage attendance’ at the meeting, according to a report published by Cheshire East.

The six reports, totalling 145 pages and costing more than £85,000, said they ‘understand’ why Ms Weaver ‘acted as she did’ given the ‘unusual and difficult circumstances’.

Ms Weaver says that there should be more power for councils to discipline unruly members.

‘It is one of the challenges that local councils face,’ she added.

‘When you do have someone whose behaviour is poor, there is very little you can do about it.’

The internet star supports councillors being suspended from meetings if an independent adjudicator rules that they have breached expected standards.

The chief officer indeed described the Zoom that went viral as the most aggressive experience she has faced in her work at CALC.

One of the few things that helped her maintain control was the fact the meeting was online, she added.

Ms Weaver said: ‘In person meetings can be even more difficult.

‘The fact that meeting was done on Zoom meant that I was never in any physical danger.

‘It is easier to deal with difficult situations when you are confident you are safe.’

She explained that while parish and town councils may appear sleepy and docile, ‘feelings do run very high’ because councillors are very often neighbours.

What happened to Handforth Parish Council after the viral video?

The Zoom call sparked chaos that lasted well beyond the meeting.

Over a thousand people watched the live streams of the council’s next March and April meetings.

In the April live stream, Mr Tolver quit as chair of Handforth Parish Council.

Mr Brewerton, who was on the call with his dad Keith, also stepped down.

He later revealed he had faced death threats and ‘two years of hell’ since the controversial meeting.

Cllr Barry Burkhill – was heard telling Jackie Weaver she didn’t ‘know what she was talking about’ – also left his post.

The council decided later that year to change its name to Handforth Town Council, declaring they wanted to ‘move away from the toxic side of Handforth’.

New elections were held in 2023, returning many familiar faces to the council.

According to Handforth Town Council’s website, Susan Moore – who staunchly defended Ms Weaver – is now the Chair.

John Smith, who served as Chairman after Mr Tolver quit, and Roger Small are also both councillors.

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