MPs defensive over long summer break
West Midlands MPs today defended their lengthy summer holidays after House of Commons Speaker John Bercow called for the recess to be cut back.
West Midlands MPs today defended their lengthy summer holidays after House of Commons Speaker John Bercow called for the recess to be cut back.
The 82-day break - almost 12 weeks - is seven days more than MPs enjoyed last year, and is more than twice the leave most people take in a year. But MPs insist they had not spent the time sitting back, but had been hard at work in their constituencies. In a speech at Westminster, Mr Bercow hinted the long sabbatical could come to an end.
This is thought to be because of the message it sends to the public on the back of the expenses scandal and at a time of recession.
West Midland MPs available to speak to today insisted they were all working very hard for their constituents - although many said they supported a shorter recess.
They included Walsall North Labour MP David Winnick, who welcomed Mr Bercow's remarks.
He said: "I have year-on-year consistently argued that the summer break does no service to the House of Commons. Everyone outside Westminster village calls it a 'holiday' - we are the only people who call it a recess."
Stone MP MP Bill Cash said he had no objections to a reduction and claimed there was a much bigger constitutional crisis at stake, adding: "When we are actually in Parliament, the Government has now arranged for business in such a way that we don't discuss Bills properly."
West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey said he was quite relaxed about reducing the break, but added: "There has to be time built into the parliamentary session when MPs can carry out functions - otherwise, the work MPs can do in their constituency is confined to Fridays and weekends."
Veteran South Staffordshire Tory MP Sir Patrick Cormack was of the view the break should be scaled back to when the party conference season gets under way.
And Wolverhampton North East Labour MP Ken Purchase added: "If John Bercow wants to go back early, I assume he must have a reason.
"I am not knocking it, I am not against it. Provided there is business to transact, I am happy to be in Westminster."
By London Reporter Sunita Patel
