article_snippet: A Lib Dem councillor has apologised 'unreservedly' after A Lib Dem councillor was caught playing Scrabble during a meeting.
article_snippet: Conservative deputy council leader Geoffrey Samuel was giving a speech in a bombastic and aggressive manor and, to be somewhat blunt, I'd run our of budget agendas and I unwisely sought solace in the Scrabble board,' Conservative deputy council leader Geoffrey Samuel said. '
article_snippet: I admit it could be seen as (not representing those who voted for Conservative deputy council leader Geoffrey Samuel).
article_snippet: Mr Samuel, who was opening the annual budget and council tax meeting, called Mr Elengorn's behaviour 'outrageous'. '
article_snippet: I didn't think it as a great idea to do right in Martin Elengorn middle of a council meeting for the budget.'
article_snippet: Councillor Helen Hill said Councillor Helen Hill decided to take the photograph as 'a comment on what Councillor Helen Hill was doing when Councillor Helen Hill should have been listening. '
article_snippet: Councillor Helen Hill is just an eccentric individual,' Councillor Helen Hill added.
article_snippet: Lib-Dem leader Stephen Knight said: 'I think Martin recognises it was not the wisest thing to be doing in a council meeting.
article_snippet: John O'Connell, director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: 'Councillors receive a hefty allowance to represent the views of Councillors constituents and hold the council to account — neither of which are achieved by playing Scrabble.'
article_snippet: A spokesman for Richmond Council said Councillors would not be commenting on the whole incident.
article_snippet: It comes just weeks after Conservative councillor Eric Nicholson came underfire for spending two hours on Conservative councillor Eric Nicholson mobile phone during a debate at Kendal County Hall in Cumbria.
article_snippet: The member for Cockermouth North played solitaire, checked The member for Cockermouth North bank account and caught up with emails while hiding The member for Cockermouth North Blackberry under the table during the meeting where a rise in council tax was being discussed.
article_snippet: Mr Nicholson, who was elected in 1997, admitted after the meeting where a rise in council tax was being discussed that The member for Cockermouth North had been using The member for Cockermouth North phone but insisted The member for Cockermouth North was still 'concentrating'.