Jackie Weaver ‘did not have the authority’ at Handforth meeting

Ms Weaver, who became an internet star after a bad-tempered online parish council meeting went viral, was told by one councillor ‘you have no authority here’ as she removed some members from the meeting and muted their microphones.

A report commissioned by Cheshire East Council following complaints from the public about the conduct of three councillors at the meeting, found she did not have the right to remove them.

It did state however that her actions were ‘understandable’.

The arguments centred around whether holding the two extraordinary meetings on December 10, 2020, was lawful.

Some of the parish councillors claimed they were not.

The report, written by external investigators commissioned by Cheshire East to look into complaints, said the extraordinary meetings were called for December 10 and, in the absence of the clerk, Jackie Weaver, of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, had been asked to assist and facilitate the meetings.

“When interviewed Jackie Weaver stated that she was satisfied that the meetings had been called properly,” said the report, adding that she was concerned some councillors were intending to pass a motion to close the meetings down.

It said that was why she felt it necessary to mute and remove the councillors.

The report continues: “Her (Ms Weaver’s) purpose in attending was to facilitate the meetings going ahead, and it is understandable why she acted as she did.

“That said we find that Jackie Weaver was not acting in an official capacity at the meetings.

“She did not have authority to manage the attendance at those meetings (which she fully accepts).”

The report adds that it is therefore also understandable why her actions would likely cause those councillors to become agitated.

Cheshire East Council has just published six reports following investigations into the behaviour of some Handforth parish councillors.

The investigation has so far cost the council tax payer more than £85K and that figure could rise as some of those involved had made allegations about Cheshire East staff carrying out the investigation.

Three of the reports relate to complaints against three parish councillors following the December meetings involving Jackie Weaver, which went viral in February 2021.

Three relate to complaints involving some council members prior to this - between 2018 and November 2020, there had been a total of 21 formal complaints.

There were no formal findings against any of the three parish councillors because they all resigned following the issue of the draft investigation reports.

But the reports did state, with regard to some of the complaints, that ‘on the balance of probability’, three former councillors were in breach of the some aspects of the code of conduct for members.

Three currently serving councillors were, one report states, not in breach of the code of conduct.

It continues: “Although we do not find that the behaviour of the subject members was such to result in a breach of the code, their behaviour cannot be said to have been exemplary.”

Following the publication of the reports, Ms Weaver said: "We were still very vague about how virtual council meetings worked and I did not actually remove them from the meeting, in my opinion, I moved them to the waiting room.

"A little later in the meeting the remaining councillors voted to remove them.

"So I welcome the findings of the report but am deeply saddened that it took so long and cost so much to get there."

Some of the councillors who resigned issued a statement saying: “For the sake of clarity, we do not accept the findings of these investigations and do not recognise any of them as being valid.

“In terms of the findings of the reports, we wholly refute the findings and view them as being extreme fiction.

“We did not, at any time, breach the code of conduct and now plan to fully contest these findings.  We are innocent and maintain our innocence.”

Cllr John Smith, chair of Handforth Town Council, as it is now called, said: “Although an earlier resolution would have been preferable, I congratulate Cheshire East Council legal officers for sticking with the investigation.”

He added: “Handforth Town Council is now getting on with supporting our great community – quietly and I hope, unobtrusively.”