An organisation I’ve never previously heard of, 38 Degrees (it’s apparently the angle at which standing snow turns into an avalanche – and I’m frankly still none the wiser), has decided to launch a postcard / e-mail campaign aimed at revealing what MPs are getting up to during their “summer holidays”, a.k.a. recess, which starts today.
What a wizard wheeze! It’s already got 38 Degrees some much-needed publicity, covered in the Telegraph, Independent, Mail and Mirror, among other dailies. Its “executive director”, one David Babbs, who has transferred to the organisation after fulfilling the no doubt immensely useful and important role of Head of Capacity Building with Friends of the Earth, has even written a piece for the Guardian explaining earnestly why 38 Degrees is carrying out the exercise (all very worthy stuff and nothing, of course, to do with getting the pressure group onto the radar screen of British politics).
I am therefore bracing myself for an avalanche, or maybe a trickle, of postcards and e-mails demanding what I am up to during my eleven weeks in the Bahamas (or perhaps Bognor – I must keep you guessing). So, to save time and make sure that I don’t have to break into all that partying, I thought I’d write this post, to which all enquirers will be referred.
So here is the full lowdown on the Jones recess (probably fairly similar to many other MPs’ recesses, certainly those of Conservative colleagues):
- To begin with, the recess is indeed considerably too long; the longest in living memory, in fact. It wasn’t what I or the opposition wanted; indeed, we voted against it. However, the Government prefers Parliament to be as deserted as possible, to ensure that, so far as may be, its meltdown is a private affair, away from the glare of Parliamentary scrutiny.
- Nevertheless, we do need a holiday because most of us are very tired. We don’t need eleven weeks, but we do need a break. Parliamentary life is incredibly intense and taxing and we need some time off. I know Mr Babbs’s ascetic eyebrows will probably be elevating skywards at this point, but, frankly, I don’t care. So I’m taking a few days off at home next week and maybe a week away later in the recess. And that, leisurewise, will be it.
- Apart from the holiday bit, recess isn’t a holiday. I will be in the constituency office most days to deal with correspondence, answer the phone and see constituents, whose problems don’t go away because Parliament is in recess. I may, however, take the odd day off to be with my long-suffering wife and family. I may also work somewhat shorter hours than the 15 or so per day I often put in during term time. Because, no doubt to Mr Babbs’s intense displeasure, I feel I am entitled to an approximation of a family life. Sorry about that.
- I will also be getting out and about. There is a host of agricultural shows, village fêtes, public meetings and other community events that take place during recess. Indeed, I’ll be making a start with the Royal Welsh Show tomorrow. I’ll also be visiting hospitals, schools, colleges and workplaces. All this activity puts me in touch with real people and their concerns, which I think is a really good thing. I would hope that even Mr Babbs would agree with that, but perhaps not.
- I will be continuing my politicking. The party conferences take place over the recess, so there will be a lot of activity even though Parliament will not be sitting. I am particularly looking forward to our own conference, to be held for the first time in Manchester.
- And finally (or perhaps not, because a lot of other stuff happens during recess), I will be writing my blog.
So that, pretty much, will be the Jones recess. If you’re a Clwyd West resident, I look forward to seeing you. Come up and have a chat. But please don’t take photos, as 38 Degrees are apparently urging, without asking first. Because that’s not really a nice thing to do and I’m a bit surprised that they seem to think it’s OK.
Oh, and if you happen to sight Mr Babbs over the summer, please write in and let me know what he’s getting up to. All reports will be published.
I’m sure he won’t mind at all.
But isn’t the point that it’s important for people to understand better what MPs do, so that trust in the system can be built back up again after all the trauma of the expenses scandal.
And although you have been very scathing about the campaign – it has indeed pushed you to be more transparent about what you are doing…
I didn’t interpret this campaign as a campaign to attack MPs when I heard about it. I don’t think you need to be so defensive about it.
David, I wish you a very good break and don’t worry about the likes of Mr Babbs who reflect the more Sanctimonious Tendency!
Many of us know how hard our political representatives work and that, despite the fact that Parliament is not sitting, you are not spending all your time making sandcastles or drinking wine on an Italian terrace.
Readers will undoubtedly be fascinated to hear that it would appear that “Mary” who posted a comment at 9:21 am is none other than Ms Rosemary Hall, who is, or at least was, communications officer of Friends of the Earth Europe, and is hence a former colleague of Mr David Babbs.
What was she saying about transparency again?
“Jim Staunton”, below, suggests it may not, in fact, be Ms Hall; if she would care to contact me to deny posting the comment, I will delete reference to her.
David,
Care to tell us exactly how you “know” who “Mary” is?
Unless you were actually looking over her shoulder as she typed her comment you (should) have no real idea who she claims to be and to “reveal” her identity as you did shows a depressing lack of awareness of how easy it is for an individual to pretend to be someone else on the Internet.
Perhaps I should sign my comment “from” president@whitehouse.gov and see how you react to that…
Jim
David,
Did you just change your 12.46pm post and add “it would appear that” in the first sentence? I don’t recall it being there when I posted my first reply.
I was always told it’s rather bad manners to modify your posts without indicating what you changed and when you changed it.
Re: “if she would care to contact me to deny posting the comment, I will delete reference to her…” – isn’t the burden of proof on *you* to prove that *your* claim is correct?
“I claim that Mr A. N. Other is a murderer/paedophile/Lib Dem supporter… but if he would care to contact me to deny it I’ll remove this statement”.
Any idea how far that would get you in court?
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Well, Jim, if you’d care to provide your correct e-mail address, I’ll get back to you.
Mr. Babbs was involved with friends of the Earth; that it says it all.
Evening David
I’m glad you’ve finessed that awful Mr Babbs and increased my knowledge of avalanches! Its also good to see Sally commenting here perhaps we could all meet in Manchester.
This is all getting a little bit childish.
I can understand eyebrows being raised at MPs who swan off for 11 weeks never to darken their constituency for the whole summer – but how many do that?
The thing is that MPs disappear from national radar for a while during recess and so organisations like 38 degrees, which apparently only consider an MP to be doing anything if they are in the House, assume they are doing nothing.
The campaign is a waste of time, postage, and postcards (recycled one would hope)
They seem to assume that because a few MPs have been caught with dodgy expenses, that we’ll buy the theory they are all lazy. Not sure I follow that logic.
In my experience of MPs of all political parties, the easiest way to find out what they are doing in the recess is to ask.
As for the etiquette of blog comments. Sorry Jim, I don’t agree. There are a lot of people out there who set up temporary addresses to target bloggers. I was subject of a sustained campaign by Labour posters who were posting from the Assembly building in working hours. An interesting use of taxpayers’ money.
If you have a good idea who they are, out them I say.
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