Is this Handforth council 2.0? Hilarious footage shows chaotic parish council meeting as members shriek poll results at one another and storm out in row over whether it should be dissolved after vote in quaint village
- Thornton Le Dale Parish Council meeting descended into chaos on YouTube
A chaotic parish council meeting has become a new spectating sensation – following in the footsteps of Jackie Weaver and Handforth Council.
The ferocious bile and simmering aggression of North Yorkshire-set Thornton-Le-Dale Parish Council has gripped certain viewers after being uploaded to YouTube each meeting.
In the latest installment there is no shortage of drama, with numerous flashpoints – including one moment where all the councillors storm out.
And it even features a Weaver-esque section where one councillor questions another’s authority.
The memorable segment stars former chair Cllr Sandra Kathleen Bell who turns on current seat-holder Cllr Marguerite Markham.
It is prompted by the latter’s reporting of the results of a poll to dissolve the current council.
The two main warring factions in the outrageous parish council meeting in Thornton-Le-Dale
As Cllr Markham, who is dressed in a stripey top, reads out the numbers, she is interrupted by Cllr Bell, who is clad in pink.
READ MORE: Councillor who told Jackie Weaver to ‘read and understand’ the standing orders during infamous Handforth Council Zoom meeting says life has been ‘hell’ since the clip went viral
Cllr Bell declares: ‘No, no that is not how our elections work.’
The remark prompts Cllr Markham to slam her hand down on the table.
Cllr Bell continues: ‘Sorry, first past the post, there’s no way that is appropriate. The way it’s put here is nonsense.’
As others attempt to remonstrate with her, Cllr Markham yells: ‘Sandra, you are not chair, be quiet.’
But the other woman then hits back ‘No I’m not, but neither are you acting in any democratic manner. You cannot report the results of the election the way they have here. It’s ridiculous.’
Cllr Markham can then be seen theatrically sighing, slamming her hand down again and jabbing her pen onto the table.
Then a member of the audience is heard grumbling, attracting Cllr Bell’s attention.
She points at him: ‘Sorry are you a councillor at all? No that’s right you’ve never stood, I remember now.’
It appears to prompt a bizarre stalemate where no-one says anything for an excruciating 16 seconds.
Cllr Markham then announces they are going to start again ‘providing we keep quiet’.
Thornton-Le-Dale in North Yorkshire is a picture postcard style village, but trouble is brewing
Walk-out: All the councillors storm out at one point, leaving just the clerk who urges a wait
The meeting was uploaded onto YouTube where it has been found by astonished viewers
This irks Cllr Bell, who says ‘Well in that case we might as well go home now then, if we all keep quiet.’
A member of the public then pipes up: ‘Why don’t you all try getting on? This is ridiculous. Just let the woman speak.’
READ MORE: ‘Right, shall we bring this Brit Awards to order?’ Viral sensation Jackie Weaver Zooms into music bash alongside Line of Duty stars in hilarious opening sketch
Cllr Bell says: ‘I’m not stopping her, she’s not saying anything.’
Cllr Markham then starts up again, a calm start turning to a more shrill shout by the end at her nemesis: ‘Right we’ll start again shall we? 1,545 electorate!’
Cllr Bell quips: ‘I think the word he used was speak.’
The council then hear the majority of people who voted want them dissolved, but Cllr Markham says they will continue to serve.
But Cllr Bell says: ‘It was put to the parish, three quarters of those who voted, voted yes to dissolve the parish council. I actually feel morally we all ought to resign.’
Asked to clarify if she is resigning she says she isn’t, but thinks that is what they ought to do. She then adds: ‘Only three of us on this table have actually been elected by a public vote’.
This sparks yet another argument among the them and the clerk objects.
It leads to another objections from Cllr Bell who points out: ‘You are not a councillor’.
Cllr Markham then shouts: ‘It was an uncontested election we entered, right?’
But when Cllr Bell accuses another councillor of just ‘doing what she’s told’ chaos erupts.
Pandemonium broke out after Handforth Parish Council chairman Brian Tolver (pictured) told stand-in clerk Jackie Weaver that she had ‘no authority’ to take charge
The whole council – except the clerk – storm out of the room leaving an empty table.
A member of the public then accuses her ‘It’s disgraceful the way you’ve carried on’.
There are then snippets of conversation including one apparently calling her stupid.
The clerk urges the public to give them five minutes to come back, which they eventually do before the event ends shortly afterwards.
Not even the start of the July 18 meeting was without incident.
Cllr Markham is forced to berate one person in the hall watching proceedings for apparently having their phone blaring out some footage.
The parish clerk’s office this morning highlighted the Society of Local Council Clerks’ campaign against bullying, harassment and intimidation on councils.
A source added to MailOnline: ‘There have been numerous complaints to the monitoring officer regarding Cllr Bell.
‘There needs a urgent change in the law to deal with this.’
Cllr Bell did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The chaos is not unlike the now-notorious Zoom meeting of a different council during the pandemic which descended into farce.
Pandemonium broke out after Handforth Parish Council chairman Brian Tolver told stand-in clerk Jackie Weaver that she had ‘no authority’ to take charge in December 2020.
Councillors traded insults with one shouting at Mrs Weaver to ‘read the standing orders’.
The meeting became a viral hit after she kicked out the chairman, shouting councillors and was lauded for standing up to bullies.
The chairman faced a barrage of criticism and admitted that he was known as ‘the monstrous villain of the piece’.
Mrs Weaver, who lives in Whitchurch, Shropshire, received messages of support from around the world amid claims the hectoring she received amounted to sexist bullying.
She became a massive viral hit and even made an appearance at the Brit Awards.
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