Jackie Weaver hits the big time: Unlikely star of the Handforth Parish Council appears on Channel 4’s Last Leg and admits she ‘doesn’t really know what Twitter is’
- Handforth Parish Council planning committee’s meeting went viral this week
- Jackie Weaver was on Channel 4’s Last Leg and says she’s clueless about Twitter
- New fans on social media say the unliley star is ‘funnier than the presenters’
Handforth Parish Council star Jackie Weaver has admitted she went viral online this week without having a clue what Twitter is.
The acting-clark catapulted to fame this week when she kicked council chairman Brian Tolver out of a Zoom meeting for telling her she has ‘no authority at all’.
The internet sensation has earned even more fame after tonight’s appearance on Channel 4’s The Last Leg where she had presenters in stitches as she admitted to not knowing what Twitter is.
Jackie Weaving revealed she has no clue about Twitter despite her becoming an overnight star thanks to a planning meeting going viral on social media
The acting-clark was an instant hit on the Channel 4 show, with some people on social media claiming she was ‘funnier than the presenters’
When asked by Josh Widdicombe what the last 24 hours have been like, Jackie said over another Zoom call on the show: ‘I think the main thing is I don’t really know what Twitter is and I’m not sure what trending is.
“My son tells me it’s really good. I think that has helped a lot.”
Dozens of people online enjoyed Jackie’s brief appearance on the comedy show, hosted by Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker.
One said on Twitter: ‘Jackie Weaver saying she doesn’t really know what Twitter is, bless her.’
Another said: “Jackie Weaver on Last Leg right now, what a wonderful lady.’
And one viewer added: “
Omg Jackie Weaver on the Last Leg right now is funnier than any of the hosts.
‘Get her on every single panel show immediately.’
Josh Widdecombe could not help laughing when Jackie said she was clueless about Twitter and had to be told what trending meant
Jackie became an unlikely star this week when an edited highlights package of Handforth Parish Council planning committee’s December meeting captured a multitude of chaos – including one person shouting ‘f*** off’, someone flushing a toilet and another answering the front door.
But the real show-stealer was acting-clerk Jackie who kicked out and ordered her to to ‘stop talking’.
Her action has gained her wide-spread support, with Jackie’s husband Stuart Weaver, 69 – a retired design engineer – telling MailOnline that he’s ‘proud’ of his wife for standing up to them.
Viral council meeting star Jackie Weaver (pictured with her husband Stuart) has insisted she did have the power to boot out a ‘disruptive’ council chairman who ordered her to ‘stop talking’ in a now-viral Zoom hearing, MailOnline can reveal
Acting-clerk Jackie (pictured) kicked out council chairman Brian Tolver after he told her she has ‘no authority at all’ and ordered her to to ‘stop talking’
Weaver, Cheshire Association of Local Councils, clashes with chairman Brian Tolver who claims he was chucked out of an earlier meeting by her and refuses to accept the meeting’s legitimacy. He is later thrown out again for telling Weaver to ‘stop talking’ but today said he had no regrets
Jackie – who has worked with Handforth Parish Council on and off for nine years – says the hostility from Mr Tolver’s faction of councillors was hardly a surprise.
In a normal parish council meeting, Jackie wouldn’t have the authority to remove someone, but because it was called by two coucillors – who risked having the hearing ‘hijacked’ – she says she did.
Jackie earlier admitted that ‘there is an element of bullying and bad behaviour around in local councils’ – with councillor Peter Moore, 70, one of those on the Zoom call, describing Handforth Parish Council as a ‘den of bullying’.
The small town of Handforth in Cheshire, close to Manchester Airport, is known for its gigantic M&S and its quiet suburban streets – but many residents now know that its parish council is split by infighting and a battle for power
Jackie told MailOnline: ‘I had the authority to kick them of the call. They shout all the statements about it being illegal but I’ve been doing this for 25 years.
‘If it had been a normal parish meeting I wouldn’t have had the authority to do that.’
WARRING FACTIONS AT THE HEART OF HANDFORTH PARISH COUNCIL
THE PEACEMAKER
Jackie Weaver
Jackie Weaver was assisting councillors during the Handforth Parish Council meeting which captured national attention
Jackie Weaver was assisting councillors during the now famous Handforth Parish Council meeting which captured national attention.
She is the Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of local councils.
Jackie is married to Stuart, a retired design engineer, and they have three grown up children – but no grandchildren.
The group is a member based organisation that exists to promote the rights and interests of Town and Parish Council across Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington, Trafford and Halton Boroughs.
It provides support, including legal support, to local councils in the area, as well as running training programme for clerks and councillors.
The meeting has now been viewed by 3million people.
She told BBC Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour: ‘I suppose the surprise comes in large part because actually 99.99% – that’s an actual fact I’m sure – of council meetings are just not like that. They are often less exciting than we might hope they were.’
Ms Weaver said she had had ‘nothing but really lovely, positive support’ since the clip had gone viral.
She said that it was important to try to eradicate ‘bad behaviour’ from local councils.
She added: ‘A lot of us are working very hard – and that includes central government – to try to do something about that, because we’re passionate about the fact that local government is the mechanism by which people can really engage with their communities.’
FACTION ONE
Brian Tolver
Brian Victor Tolver is the chairman of Handforth Parish Council
Brian Victor Tolver is the chairman of Handforth Parish Council.
He was re-elected as a Handforth Ratepayers’ Association (Independent) candidate for the South Ward on Handforth Parish Council in 2019, gaining 271 votes.
He has been a parish councillor for over five years and is a founder member of Hands Off Handforth Green Belt (HoHGB) – a campaign group run aiming to ‘protect our village from unnecessary development on our precious open space’.
Outside of the council he runs a software business called Brooke House Ltd.
Aled Brewerton
Aled Brewerton is an independent councillor who represents the Handforth West Ward
Aled Brewerton is an independent councillor who represents the Handforth West Ward.
He was elected to his seat in 2019, winning with 353 votes.
He is currently the vice chairman of the council and chair of the council’s finance committee.
Outside of the council, he is a self-employed solicitor and ‘professional investigator’ who runs A2Z Investigations Ltd.
Barry Burkhill
Barry Edward Burkhill is an independent councillor for the Handforth ‘Ratepayers’ Association’ on Handforth Parish Council
Barry Edward Burkhill is an independent councillor for the Handforth ‘Ratepayers’ Association’ on Handforth Parish Council.
He represents Handforth South Ward and was re-elected to the seat with 316 votes in 2019.
He is also elected to represent the Handforth Ward at East Chesire Borough Council. He was re-elected for a third time in 2019. having first been elected in 2011.
On top of this, he is the current Mayor of Cheshire East. He has represented Handforth for 38 years and for 28 years was a member of Macclesfield Borough Council, of which he was elected mayor in 2007.
Outside of the council, he is retired.
FACTION TWO
Susan Moore
Susan Moore was elected to Handforth Parish Council in 2019
Susan Moore was elected to Handforth Parish Council in 2019. She is an independent councillor, representing Handforth West Ward, which she won with 451 votes.
Outside of the council, she is involved in Moore Secure Ltd – a company which installs CCTV, fire alarms and other home security measures.
John Smith
John Michael Smith is an independent councillor for Handforth Parish Council
John Michael Smith is an independent councillor for Handforth Parish Council.
He represents Handforth East Ward, a seat to which he was re-elected uncontested in 2019.
He is a self-employed driving instructor outside of the council.
His wife, Julie, is a pharmacy assistant and a councillor.
She ran as an independent candidate for the Handforth Borough ward on Cheshire East Council in 2019 – a seat which she won.
The pair are said to have five adult children and two grandsons.
Cynthia Sampson
Cynthia Margaret Samson is an independent councillor for Handforth Parish Council
Cynthia Margaret Samson is an independent councillor for Handforth Parish Council.
She represents the Handforth East Ward, a seat to which he was re-elected uncontested in 2019.
She is a retired accountant who is married to Christopher Sampson, a driver for the Chesire-based epilepsy support charity, the David Lewis Centre.
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