TIME FOR A SHAKE-UP OF PARLIAMENT’S WORKING DAY

WESTMINSTER’S long summer break is not quite long enough for some, it seems. As the Commons wound down for its seven-week recess, a number of MPs were griping about having to come back in September.

Until early in this century, MPs did not return from the summer break until October. The rules were changed under the last Labour government in response to complaints that parliamentarians were workshy.

Now the Commons routinely resumes for a fortnight before rising again for the conference recess. “The September sittings are a complete waste of time,” one MP told me. “The shorter break gives maintenance staff less time to get refurbishment work on the buildings done and that ends up costing the taxpayer more.

“It really is all for show to stop constituents thinking we’re on holiday all the time. But it is politically impossible for us to scrap September sittings because they just look bad.”

A few MPs are even beginning to ask whether the entire parliamentary calendar could do with a major overhaul. They suspect that, like the September sittings, a lot of other sessions are held only to keep up appearances. “Parliament is utterly inefficient,” another MP told me. “Much more could be achieved in less time if things were organised in a more businesslike way.”

Frustration is growing at the so-called “family friendly” hours introduced under Labour and extended under David Cameron’s coalition. Opponents point out that few MPs with homes outside London can get away to spend time with their families during working weeks. They complain that Commons business is needlessly spun to make being an MP look like a regular office job.

“The family friendly hours are nonsense,” a former minister said. “Parliament should sit for longer hours but fewer days and get more stuff done. We should begin at 9am and work through to four in the morning and just crack on with it.”

This Parliament’s workload has been lightened by Mrs May dumping many of her legislative plans because of her lack of a majority. Some of her MPs want to use that opportunity to shake up Parliament and cut out the time-wasting.