Handforth Parish Council is no more: Town authority changes name in bid to move on from viral video
It will now be known as... Handforth Town Council
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It is perhaps Britain’s most (in)famous parish council. Or, rather, it was. Handforth Parish Council is no more.
The grassroots authority – which made global headlines after a video of members squabbling went viral – has changed its name in a bid to move on from the stigma of the footage.
Henceforth it will be known as… Handforth Town Council.
“What we’d like is, by definition of what we’re doing, people don’t refer to the viral issue any longer,” said John Smith, the authority’s new chair.
The council was catapulted into the international limelight in February after millions of people watched footage of an astonishing Zoom meeting that was posted on Twitter.
In it, no-nonsense chief officer Jackie Weaver is seen having to deal with a faction of three explosively aggressive members apparently trying to sabotage the gathering. After attempts at diplomacy fail, she goes nuclear – and boots all three off the call.
In the months since, the trio have all left the council, while Ms Weaver has become something of a national institution, feminist icon, and much-respected advocate of grassroots democracy.
“I never imagined someone would make me into a cake,” she told The Independent in May while discussing her new-found fame.
Now, the council, in Cheshire, is hoping the name-change will help it get back to basics.
“We’re just getting back to what we used to be doing, which was doing stuff for the town,” Mr Smith told the BBC. “We’re trying to deliver a number of projects that will improve people in Handforth’s lives.”
He added that the new name made more sense because of the size of the town, and said it would also be more inclusive by getting rid of a word – parish – which many people assumed was something to do with the Church.
Yet the new-look authority may in fact be living on borrowed time, whatever its moniker.
In September, Cheshire East Council – the higher-tier authority – launched a 12-week consultation on parish and town councils within its area.
It proposed merging Handforth with neighbouring councils in Wilmslow and Chorley.
Although all three authorities are against the plans, it is understood that Cheshire East feels the changes would better reflect the current population and geography of the three areas.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments