A chaotic Zoom meeting between members of Handforth Parish Council has gone viral, with clerk Jackie Weaver becoming an unlikely internet hero.
The footage shows a heated meeting between members of the Planning and Environment Committee, which took place on 10 December 2020.
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According to LBC, the clip was originally posted on the local authority's website, but went viral last night after it was shared on Twitter and YouTube.
Chairman Brian Tolver had apparently refused to recognise the legitimacy of the meeting, having labelled himself as 'clerk'.
Jackie Weaver, from the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, then said: "The chairman simply declared himself 'clerk' and notified everybody of the case.
"There is no way of stopping him from calling himself clerk. Please refer to me as Britney Spears from now on."
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Tolver hit back angrily: "You have no authority here Jackie Weaver!"
He was then removed from the meeting and placed in a virtual waiting room - the Zoom equivalent of the naughty step, surely.
Amazingly, the clash was just one of countless dramas on the call - as this YouTube compilation proves.
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As Weaver said in the call: "It is nothing if not lively in Handforth."
Various clips and memes have been circulating on social media, with one person writing: "I've never missed in person meetings more than I did watching this parish council meeting descend into chaos."
Another tweeted: "Jackie Weaver is right in both the spirit of the law and the letter of the law and I won't hear otherwise. If Handforth falls, we all fall."
Someone else wrote: "I have an appointment in 5 hours and should definitely be sleeping now, but here I am watching a parish council meeting. If they did a British version of Parks and Rec it would definitely turn out like this. #noregrets #JACKIEWEAVER."
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Someone's even made a parody account for Jackie Weaver:
Minutes posted on the council's website explained a little more about what had happened that day, outlining how several meeting members had to be removed from the call due to 'disruptive behaviour'.
The minutes said: "This meeting was duly called by two councillors following the refusal of the Council Chairman to call such a meeting.
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"As the Chairman of the Council (Cllr Tolver) was present he was invited to take the Chair.
"Cllr Tolver refused to recognise the legitimacy of the meeting and proceeded to disrupt the proceedings.
"He was again asked to proceed with the meeting but continued to act in a disruptive and aggressive matter and was therefore removed from the meeting and put into the virtual waiting room.
"Cllrs Brewerton and Burkhill behaved in a similar manner and were also removed to the waiting room.
"In the waiting room they were advised that they would be welcome to re-join the meeting if they ceased their disruptive behaviour. There was no response.
"The meeting then proceeded with Cllr Susan Moore (Vice-Chair of the Committee) in the Chair."
Featured Image Credit: Zoom/Handforth Parish Council