A Dundee SNP councillor has been accused of “showing total contempt” for council business after being spotted sewing a hat during a meeting being streamed online.
Councillor Christina Roberts appeared to be sewing a pom-pom onto a woolly hat during a meeting of the city governance committee on Monday.
During this meeting, the committee discussed the possibility of introducing a tourist tax to address the £12m budget shortfall facing Dundee City Council in the upcoming financial year.
The meeting was being livestreamed on YouTube and was the first time the local authority had enabled members of the public to watch council business in this way
Watch from 49:00 as Dundee councillor does a spot of sewing during committee meeting
Following the meeting, a member of the public who had been viewing the livestream contacted the The Courier to express their frustration at what they described as “total disrespect” shown by councillor Roberts.
She said: “To be fair, some of it was quite interesting such as the discussion about improving the city centre, the food festival, and the tourist tax but it struck me that just a few of the nearly 30 councillors take an active part in discussions.
“The worst possible example of lack of interest and total disrespect (was) shown by one councillor.
“She said nothing throughout, spent most of the time playing with and reading her mobile phone but astonishingly, about 50 minutes in, started sewing and continued doing what appeared to be sewing a pom-pom on a hat for some time.
“Most councillors at least paid attention to what was going on although only about eight of them seem to make much of a contribution.
“However the sewing councillor is showing total contempt and laziness.”
The Dundee councillor was likened to Inverness Provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair, who was spotted washing her living-room windows while taking part in a council debate last year.
The member of the public added: “Last year a councillor in the Highlands got into deep water for cleaning her windows during a council meeting – it look like this Dundee councillor Roberts has learned nothing from that.”
Councillor Roberts has represented the East End Ward since 2007 and has previously served as the Depute Lord Provost.
She has been contacted for comment.
Dundee City Council declined to comment.
Conversation