Handforth Parish Council chairman who told Jackie Weaver she had ‘no authority here’ quits in latest meeting | indy100

The chairman of the infamous Handforth Parish council has resigned.

Brian Tolver, who shot to some degree of notoriety after telling stand-in clerk Jackie Weaver that she had “no authority here” during a meeting in December, did not say why he had resigned but told his colleagues “I intend to resign as chair at the end of this meeting” in the latest meeting.

Weaver and Tolver are known for fighting during a Zoom meeting of the council, which is located in Cheshire. Weaver removed Tolver from the Zoom call and placed him in a virtual waiting room after he shouted at her about her level of “authority”.

Vice-chairman Aled Brewerton also shouted: “Read the standing orders. Read them and understand them,” causing the meeting to descend into chaos and arguments – much to the delight of those on social media.

Indeed, the footage of the meeting became viral, with over a million view on YouTube and triggered a number of memes and jokes. Weaver even appeared in songs inspired by the incident.

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After announcing he would quit, Tolver denied councillor John’s Smith’s claim that his resignation was over his support for the parish council to be abolished with a proposed merger with neighbouring Wilmslow. He said: “I am resigning but not for those reasons.”

One councillor later said she believed that the Jackie Weaver incident triggered his resignation.

Councillor Susan Moore told the BBC: “He is isolated on the council and his allies have not been seen since that meeting with Jackie Weaver.

“He has no power so he cannot do what he wants. He should have apologised for his behaviour but he didn’t.

It just goes to show, politics can be bitter and dramatic at every level.