Well, that’s it. After an intensely busy period, Parliament is now adjourned for the summer ‘recess’.
This means that MPs can return to their constituencies, take stock and — perhaps most importantly, ahead of the push towards Brexit — recharge their batteries. That’s certainly what I’ll be doing.
The last 12 months have been an extraordinary chapter in British political history. But parliamentary business has been particularly demanding since the General Election, given the slim working majority that the Government now has.
MPs’ diaries are usually pretty varied. We spend a lot of time in Westminster but also get out and about, attending various meetings and events. But effectively, since the Election every single Conservative MP has had to be on site, in Parliament, for as long as there is business going on. This is so that we are present for every single vote in the Commons, given the continual threat of defeat by opposition parties.
For these reasons, I think the summer break will be good for MPs, good for politics, and good for the country as a whole. When we return we will be entering a critical period, and the Government is determined to get a good Brexit deal for the UK. This is when the real work begins.
Of course, summer recess also means that I can get away from London for a bit. I am very much looking forward to returning home, spending time with my family in the Moorlands.
It's time for a break!