There may be important Brexit legislation to get through and bills on public sector pay, but there are no MPs to see to it from today.
MPs are back on holidays again – just nine days after returning to Parliament from a six-week summer break.
Parliament returned on Tuesday last week, after being on summer recess since 20 July.
MPs are back on holidays again – just nine days after returning to Parliament from a six-week summer break
But while those they represent, including school children, have weeks of hard work ahead of us before their next break – MPs rose for another three week holiday yesterday.
It means they have only endured a mere eight days at work this month. With their £76K salaries, MPs earn just under three times the national UK wage.
But they can now look forward to a long party conference season, with no prospect of returning to their green benches until 9 October.
The Liberal Democrat conference begins next week in Bournemouth, followed by Labour in Brighton and then the Tories in Manchester.
Yesterday, Pete Wishart, the SNP representative for Perth and North Perthshire, complained about the break.
‘We have just got back from a long summer recess, but apparently we are taking a break again so that three voluntary organisations can have the equivalent of their annual general meetings,’ he told the Commons.
‘The public will be baffled that we can find only seven days for that Committee stage in the House, yet can find a week to let our 12 Liberal Democrats go to their conference.’
But yesterday, MPs were ready for recess having only just recovered from the strains of a long summer holiday that they took full advantage of.
Parliament returned on Tuesday last week, after being on summer recess since 20 July
Prime Minister Theresa May spent some of her summer break on a three-week walking holiday in Italy and Switzerland with husband Philip.
She spent five days in Northern Italy before heading to Belgium to attend centenary commemorations for the battle of Passchendaele on July 31.
Mrs May then headed for Switzerland, one of her favourite summer holiday destinations, for a further two weeks.
Meanwhile her opposite number Jeremy Corbyn was spotted strolling through the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The Labour leader was photographed in green shorts and a white shirt, while Mrs May was pictured holidaying in a pink £26 shirt dress from Next.
Commenting on Parliament’s upcoming break, Chloe Westley, campaign manager at The Taxpayers’ Alliance said: ‘MPs are public servants who will have increasingly busy schedules in the coming months.
‘They should be conscious of the fact that most taxpayers don’t have opportunity to jet off for weeks on end.’
Each Parliament is usually divided into five parliamentary years called ‘sessions’ which begin and end in the spring.
A recess is a break during the parliamentary session, or year.
During recess periods, neither the House of Commons nor the House of Lords meet to conduct business.
Usually, there are several recesses throughout and session, including three weeks at Christmas and two weeks or more at Easter.
And the long summer recess usually lasts around six weeks, but this year’s ran for just under seven.
But it’s not a complete summer break. MPs also use the break to work in their constituencies.
They may hold surgeries and deal with constituency casework.
On rare occasions Parliament can be called back from recess.
In 2013, The House was called back to pay tribute to former PM Baroness Thatcher.
And last year the House were called back to pay tribute to Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in the days leading up to the EU referendum campaign.