Jackie Weaver has authority everywhere

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Let’s start with a recap: In December, Jackie Weaver was brought in to chair an obscure local government meeting. At the time, she was as obscure as the meeting. 

Like local government meetings everywhere, this one should’ve sent the most over-caffeinated participant into a peaceful sleep, but this one had a couple of difficult participants and they tried to take over the meeting. It’s not irrelevant that they were and are male and Weaver was and is female. You’ve been around long enough to know how that works.

“Jackie Weaver, you have no authority here,” one huffed at her. 

“Read the standing orders,” another one boomed. “Read them and understand them.”

She sent them into Zoom limbo, one after another.

Then the whole thing went viral and she became a hero. 

More than 80 members of the public joined the next local government’s meeting, laughing and calling out their favorite lines from the Jackie Weaver meeting. Some of them dressed for the occasion, one in a pith helmet, one in something vaguely like a hard hat, and one wearing some sort of flat, handmade mask. 

Completely irrelevant photo: cyclamen

The reason I’m recapping all that is that she’s now the subject of two songs. The first one uses lines from the meeting itself, delivered in perfect a Colonel Blimp* voice. The second is a tribute by Andrew Lloyd Webber and says Weaver’s “the role model we all strive to be. She doesn’t want a medal, just a nice cup of tea.”

What could be more British?

You can also buy Jackie Weaver mugs, shirts, Mother’s Day cards, stickers, and posters, as well as a spiral-bound notebook that says, “And God said unto Moses, ‘Jackie Weaver has authority here.’ “

It’s not like there’s a hell of a lot of justice in this world, so it’s delicious when some is delivered, and especially when it take the form of humor.

* Colonel Blimp was a puffed-up British cartoon character from the 1930s and ‘40s, known for idiotic statements, including this gem: “Gad, Sir! Lord Bunk is right. The government is marching over the edge of an abyss, and the nation must march solidly behind them.”

20 thoughts on “Jackie Weaver has authority everywhere”

  2. The Weaver story is the gift that keeps on giving. Lord Bunk wasn’t far wrong, he must have pre-visioned Brexit. ( I am not sure I haven’t made up pre-visioned and there’s a proper word for it somewhere, but there’s a hole in my brain where it should be if that’s the case).

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  5. Both those musical salutes are marvelous ! The fact that The Guardian piece is credited to “Helen Pidd, North of England Editor” just adds that special touch of Britishness.
    You can bet those men are hopping mad ! We have seen similar reactions by certain Males in Power in the face of – say – Nancy Pelosi. Apparently the men involved here have either a bit of sense or a sense of shame.

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  6. Feels like several Colonel Blimps are currently marching the UK over a cliff edge followed by their Blimpettes. I bet Jackie Weaver would cut through their bluster too if she had the chance. And remove them a long way away …..

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