Handforth Parish is set to consider a motion of no confidence in one of its independent councillors, after a video of a chaotic council meeting went viral. The motion of no confidence against Barry Burkhill has been submitted by Conservative councillor Liz Wardlaw. Ms Wardlaw claims that Mr Burkhill, who is Mayor of Cheshire East, brought the council into disrepute by not “intervening in bullying”. The video was widely publicised and viewed millions of times on social media. It begins with the chairman of the council, Brian Tolver, asking if he would be “thrown out” of the meeting, as he was at the last session, to which another councillor shouts, “Quite rightly". “As long as we have reasonable behaviour no one will be excluded from the meeting,” responds the meeting clerk, Jackie Weaver. Mr Tolver continues to complain then tells Ms Weaver that she does not have the authority to act in her capacity for the meeting. One councillor answers her phone while she again addresses the chairman, saying: “If you proceed to disrupt this meeting, I will have to remove you from it.” At this point she removes the chairman from the meeting while another councillor shouts: “You can’t.” Ms Weaver suggests electing another chairman, then a councillor, Aled Brewerton, angrily shouts: “No they can’t, as the vice chair is still here. I take charge. "Read the standing orders. Read them and understand them.” Mr Burkhill, slightly confused, says the council already has a chairman, and asks where he is, causing some others to laugh.
