But the leader of Norfolk County Council may have picked the wrong harbour when she and her Tory colleagues ducked out of the rain and into County Hall for an election photoshoot that has left them accused of breaching the councillor code of conduct.

Kay Mason-Billig was pictured alongside Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman and around two dozen Tory colleagues at the end of March inside the council HQ.

The photos, which showed many holding placards showcasing the party's flagship policies ahead of the elections in May, have caused a stir at County Hall.

The photo is showcased at the top of Mrs Mason-Billig's Facebook account (Image: Facebook)

Under official guidelines, councillors are only allowed to use Norfolk County Council properties for council purposes, not for their own use.

This has prompted accusations that the party political event breached the rules.

However Ms Mason-Billig has defended the photoshoot, saying she and her colleagues had been forced indoors by the rain.

Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman was in attendance (Image: Facebook)

The dispute arose during fiery scenes at this week’s cabinet meeting. 

Steve Morphew, leader of the Labour group at County Hall, said the photos were a clear violation of the rules.

 "The councillor code of conduct is clear, councillors may only use county council resources for purposes associated with the duties they have already been elected to perform,” he said.

"Why am I then seeing photos on the internet, including the leader's Facebook page, of Conservative election candidates holding party political placards taken inside County Hall using County Hall resources, for party election purposes in what appears to be a direct breach of the code of conduct."

Ms Mason-Billig pointed to the weather on the day, and said there was nothing stopping other parties from doing the same.

"I'm sorry but many other parties also took photographs for their campaigns, and it was raining on that particular day - that's the only reason we were indoors,” she said. 

"I don't think there's an issue if all parties are able to access the same resources and it wasn't resources, it was just us taking our own photographs.

"I think it's a bit of a nasty side swipe and absolute political engineering on your part and it's beneath you honestly.

"Because there was nothing stopping you or your party from standing outside County Hall or inside County Hall if it was raining and doing exactly the same thing.”

Many held placards showing some of the party's flagship manifesto policies (Image: Facebook)

The council's monitoring officer is understood to have been made aware of the matter. 

However, with the incident falling close to the elections on May 7 - where the Tories have been tipped to lose their 51 seat majority by some pollsters - formal action is thought to be unlikely.

The timing has prompted questions from Mr Morphew about whether Ms Mason-Billig was aware enforcement would be difficult before deciding to stage the photoshoot.

Following the meeting, Mr Morphew called on Ms Mason-Billig to remove the photos, and warned she was pushing her luck so close to the elections.

Steve Morphew (Image: Supplied)

He said: "Councillor Mason-Billig is supposed to set an example and follow the rules, but again it seems she reacts as if the rules apply to others and not to her or the Conservatives.

"They should immediately take down photos taken in County Hall. They set a bad precedent. If it's okay for them, why not every other candidate?

"Where are the limits to what councillor Mason-Billig would deem acceptable because she can get away with it at this stage of the council cycle?"

Ms Mason-Billig stood firm, accusing Mr Morphew of "political posturing" and describing his question as "completely inappropriate" for a cabinet meeting.

She added: "Why did he not use his supplementary question to ask something of use to the residents of Norfolk, instead of taking a cheap shot.

"The Lib Dems launched their campaign at County Hall before us and he said nothing about that.”

While the Liberal Democrats did also take photos in the County Hall grounds, they posed outside the building rather than indoors. 

The Tory leader added: "No county or taxpayer funds were used for this purpose, it was just us taking our own photos.

"Any party can take their own photos at County Hall - perhaps the problem is he didn't have enough Labour candidates to make it worth his while."

Norfolk County Council has been approached for comment.

© Eastern Daily Press