A Tory council chief has come beneath fireplace after posting a Fb image of her luxurious steak dinner with a message saying: ‘Surprise what all of the poor individuals are doing?’
Kay Mason Billig, 61, who leads Norfolk County Council and is a former Tory parliamentary candidate insisted that she was making a self-depreciating joke about her circumstances moderately than mocking folks in poverty
However opposition councillors criticised her remark as ‘stunning’ and she or he is now dealing with requires her resignation.
The submit by Mrs Mason Billig who can also be chairman of the Requirements Committee of South Norfolk Council, appeared on one in every of her publicly seen Fb accounts on Saturday night and has since been deleted.
Considered one of her footage confirmed a freshly-cooked Tomahawk steak able to be carved on a board, beside a bottle of italian pink wine, a bowl of salad and a potato dish in peppercorn sauce.
One other picture featured her husband Michael sitting at a desk and grinning whereas holding up a glass of wine, alongside the phrases: ‘Surprise what all of the poor individuals are doing?’.
Tomahawk steaks that are thick minimize with an extended rib bone connected so that they resemble an axe are often cooked within the oven after being pan fried, and are sometimes offered by Waitrose and Tesco to mark particular events resembling Father’s Day final weekend.
Mrs Mason Billig’s steak is believed to be from Tesco’s Best vary which was final week promoting Tomahawk steaks for between £25 and £32.50 relying on the load, full with star shapes of untamed garlic butter.
Tory council chief, Kay Mason Billig, 61, posted a picture of a luxurious steak dinner with the message saying: ‘Surprise what all of the poor individuals are doing?’
The Norfolk county council chief posted the message alongside one other image of her husband
Tesco described its Tomahawk steaks on-line as being ‘succulent and flavoursome’ and ‘matured on the bone for 30 days for max flavour and tenderness’.
The wine in her image is regarded as an award-winning bottle of Amarone Della Valpolicella. Related bottles of the Italian pink are at present priced at £21 in Morrisons.
Mrs Mason Billig, who represents the Loddon division south of Norwich and reportedly will get allowances of greater than £51,000 a yr from the county council, did not reply a number of emails and messages from MailOnline asking for her to touch upon the submit.
However she informed the Jap Day by day Press at this time: ‘My husband and I’ve generally referred to as ourselves “the poor folks”.
‘It’s a personal joke as we stay pretty modestly, so when we now have a deal with, we are going to generally submit about it. That is asking if associates surprise what we (the poor folks) are doing.
‘It’s not supposed to be about anybody else and isn’t any reflection on people who find themselves much less properly off than ourselves. It’s a foul state of affairs once I can’t even joke about myself with out it being twisted into one thing it isn’t.’
Speaking about her submit being leaked, she added: ‘I’m deeply dissatisfied that somebody has determined to be this horrible after they should actually understand it’s truly self-deprecation. What a tragic world we stay in.’
However Steve Morphew, chief of the Labour group at Norfolk County Council, mentioned: ‘Individuals wish to have council leaders who present they’re in contact, care concerning the plight of others and present humility and pleasure within the public positions they maintain.’
The 61-year-old has since insisted she was making a self-deprecating joke about her circumstances moderately than mocking folks in poverty
Nonetheless opposing councillors have hit out at her remarks, dubbing them ‘stunning’. Calls have additionally been made for her to resign
‘It is a nauseating instance of the precise reverse. I discover nothing amusing right here.’
Michael Rosen, the Labour group chief on South Norfolk Council, informed MailOnline: ‘It’s fairly a stunning factor to say after we are freshly out of the winter interval, when so many individuals in Norfolk had to choose between heating or consuming.
‘It 100 per cent calls into query her suitability to guide Norfolk County Council which has a lot of the nation’s most disadvantaged areas in its boundaries. Quite a lot of Norfolk residents need to make cautious selections about what they eat very evening. She is actually letting her personal facet down by posting issues like this.’
Dr Catherine Rowett, the Inexperienced Occasion group chief on Norfolk County Council, mentioned: ‘I discover it actually distressing that somebody in public service could possibly be so snobbish, so devoid of empathy.
‘She absolutely must resign now! Norfolk is a county with extremes of inequality. Persons are struggling, with two or three jobs, wishing they may see their youngsters for Father’s Day.
‘My ideas could be on how we might assist these households take pleasure in Father’s Day too, moderately than mocking people who find themselves much less lucky.’
A senior Norfolk Conservative, quoted by the Jap Day by day Press, mentioned they imagine Mrs Mason Billig, ought to stop over the submit.
They mentioned: ‘I feel she ought to resign. We’re entitled to a personal life and to let our hair down, however I don’t assume anyone ought to degrade these much less properly off than others.
The submit was revealed on one in every of he publicly seen Fb on Saturday account however has since been deleted
‘Below Conservative get together steerage, there’s a case that she has introduced the get together into disrepute and the get together ought to be finishing up an investigation.
‘This falls properly beneath the Nolan Ideas for Public Life.’
One other Tory mentioned: ‘Most politicians are smart to keep away from social media. It’s onerous to win votes, however straightforward to lose them.’
A livid supply who forwarded a screenshot of Mrs Mason Billig’s submit to MailOnline mentioned: ‘I couldn’t imagine it once I noticed it.
‘A number of folks submit footage of their good dinners, however her remark about poor folks and questioning what they have been consuming was in extremely dangerous style.’
The supply who requested to not be named, added: ‘I’ve needed to cope with the county council from time to time they usually have a fame for being so righteous with the letters they ship out and employment stuff it’s important to fill in.
‘But you have got the chief of the council writing foolish feedback like this. She should have realised it was a silly comment as a result of she deleted it.’
Mrs Mason Billig stood unsuccessfully because the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the Norwich North constituency in 2001.
She has been a South Norfolk district councillor since 2011, and was the council’s deputy chief from 2018 till her appointment as chief in Might 2023.
Mrs Mason Billig did not reply a number of emails and messages from MailOnline asking for her to touch upon the submit
Mrs Mason Billig is reported to have had a ‘authorized background’ with a profession within the marine sciences business in Nice Yarmouth which led to her changing into a Group Firm Secretary.
A spokesman for Tory-run Norfolk County Council mentioned they may not remark as Mrs Mason Billig’s Fb submit was ‘not related’ to her council work.
The spokesman added: ‘It’s not posted on any council accounts or related to her (council) enterprise so it’s not one we are able to touch upon on the council. It’s actually one she might be able to touch upon. A message has been forwarded on to her.’
Daniel Elmer, the chief of Tory-run South Norfolk Council, failed to reply to requires remark. His council’s communication staff was additionally approached and didn’t remark.
Mrs Mason Billig was criticised earlier this week for feedback made throughout a debate over Norfolk County Council’s imaginative and prescient for a single council for when all eight of the county’s councils are abolished and new ones created.
She mentioned youngsters might die ought to plans to abolish all eight Norfolk councils and create new ones end in two or three totally different councils delivering social companies.
