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A Dundee councillor has been spotted sewing during a meeting being streamed online.

Christina Roberts was captured sewing a hat for around 20 minutes during the city governance committee meeting on Monday.

During the live-streamed remote meeting, the SNP councillor was also spotted on her phone and leisurely sitting back with a mug in her hand.

At one point she appears engaged in a conversation with someone else off-camera.

Councillor Christina Roberts sewing during a Dundee City Council committee meeting. Pic: Dundee City Council
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Councillor Roberts continued to sew for around 20 minutes. Pic: Dundee City Council

Councillor Christina Roberts during Dundee City Council committee meeting. Pic: Dundee City Council
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Councillor Roberts sitting back with a mug in her hand. Pic: Dundee City Council

The meeting saw councillors discuss a number of topics, including the possibility of introducing a tourist tax to address the local authority’s budget shortfall in the upcoming financial year.

Councillor Roberts was contacted for comment.

Bailie Derek Scott, who was taking part in the proceedings, told Sky News there are “too many distractions” for people during remote meetings.

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The Scottish Tory councillor for the city’s The Ferry ward said: “While Bailie Roberts might well be able to sew and take part in a meeting at the same time, it does give the impression that she is uninterested in what’s happening.

“There are too many distractions for people attending meetings remotely; the sooner Dundee City Council gets back to face-to-face meetings the better.”

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At the tail end of last year, a Highland councillor was caught on camera poised to wash a living room window during a committee meeting.

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Inverness provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair forgot to turn her camera off

Inverness provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair forgot to turn her camera off and was spotted holding a cloth and carrying a basin of water to a nearby window.

After rearranging a plant and turning a light on, the SNP councillor for Culloden and Ardersier appeared to receive a phone call that brought her running back to the computer.

The camera was then quickly switched off.

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Chancellor’s Mansion House speech vows to rip up red tape – saying post-financial crash rules went ‘too far’

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Chancellor's Mansion House speech vows to rip up red tape - saying post-financial crash rules went 'too far'

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has criticised post-financial crash regulation, saying it has “gone too far” – setting a course for cutting red tape in her first speech to Britain’s most important gathering of financiers and business leaders.

Increased rules on lenders that followed the 2008 crisis have had “unintended consequences”, Ms Reeves will say in her Mansion House address to industry and the City of London’s lord mayor.

“The UK has been regulating for risk, but not regulating for growth,” she will say.

It cannot be taken for granted that the UK will remain a global financial centre, she is expected to add.

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It’s anticipated Ms Reeves will on Thursday announce “growth-focused remits” for financial regulators and next year publish the first strategy for financial services growth and competitiveness.

Rachel Reeves
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Rachel Reeves


Bank governor to point out ‘consequences’ of Brexit

Also at the Mansion House dinner the governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey will say the UK economy is bigger than we think because we’re not measuring it properly.

A new measure to be used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – which will include the value of data – will probably be “worth a per cent or two on GDP”. GDP is a key way of tracking economic growth and counts the value of everything produced.

Brexit has reduced the level of goods coming into the UK, Mr Bailey will also say, and the government must be alert to and welcome opportunities to rebuild relations.

Mr Bailey will caveat he takes no position on “Brexit per se” but does have to point out its consequences.

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Bailey: Inflation expected to rise

In what appears to be a reference to the debate around UK immigration policy, Mr Bailey will also say the UK’s ageing population means there are fewer workers, which should be included in the discussion.

The greying labour force “makes the productivity and investment issue all the more important”.

“I will also say this: when we think about broad policy on labour supply, the economic arguments must feature in the debate,” he’s due to add.

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The exact numbers of people at work are unknown in part due to fewer people answering the phone when the ONS call.

Mr Bailey described this as “a substantial problem”.

He will say: “I do struggle to explain when my fellow [central bank] governors ask me why the British are particularly bad at this. The Bank, alongside other users, including the Treasury, continue to engage with the ONS on efforts to tackle these problems and improve the quality of UK labour market data.”

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18 US states file lawsuit against SEC and Gary Gensler

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18 US states file lawsuit against SEC and Gary Gensler

President-elect Trump has vowed to fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and replace him with a more crypto-friendly SEC head. 

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Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill for ‘strategic Bitcoin reserve’

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Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces bill for ‘strategic Bitcoin reserve’

The proposed legislation would allow the State of Pennsylvania’s Treasurer to invest up to 10% of its funds in Bitcoin, suggesting a multibillion-dollar investment.

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