Where are you Jackie Weaver when you’re needed?
If only we were still zooming, his gizzards would have been fried. Whose gizzards? The council bullyboy’s. You saw Handforth Parish Council and the loudmouthed, bullies? They are not the exception and, what’s more, you cannot get rid of them. Our Parish Council has it’s very own ‘I’m the chair. I have all the power’.
I’ll give a little outline. It’s May. It’s the annual meeting. Time to vote in the offices. Chair, vice-chair etc. We had a Chair who was a micro-manager and had to be ‘in’ on everything. Every project, every agenda item, he had the final say on. He was a worker though. The control freak wasn’t too good, neither was the misogynism, bullying or favouritism but on balance he was the best choice. He was voted back in unanimously, as was his vice-chair.
Annual meeting. Chair of Finance not present but Chair was happy to carry the responsibility. A few questions were asked, just process, nothing contentious. Then a topic that Chair had issues with, picnic benches. Council had agreed months ago to move forward with the project by going for tenders. All that needed to happen was agreement. The Chair wanted to put it off, again. No reason, just defer. Obvious unhappiness from ward councillors.
There was a slamming down of his glasses case, a shuffling of papers. Then he stood and shouted to the assembled councillors and the clerk that this was the shortest ever time of Chair, that he was resigning. Then he stated that 2 councillors present had done to him what they had done to a previous Chair and Vice-Chair. Made him resign. I shall not go into detail, except to say their resignations had been due to them not being aware the clerk was not up to being the Responsible Financial Officer, and that when they did realise they had attempted to hide it from council. That no one, or 2 councillors had been responsible for their resignations. Anyhow, following his outburst he left the meeting, reappearing 3 minutes later to state, ‘I’m not resigning as Ward Councillor though’. Then he went again. Silence, a shocked silence, reigned.
The man lost his temper. Behaved in an unprofessional manner, at a Parish Council meeting. A public meeting. Lied about 2 councillors to justify his behaviour.
Where do you think this leaves him?
Is he still a Parish Councillor?
Is he still Chairman?
Does his behaviour fulfil the Councillors Code of Conduct?