News
Andy Gregory
Jun 25, 2019
House of Commons/PA Wire/Twitter
At such a crucial time in the country's history, you'd be forgiven for thinking MPs might decide to curtail their usual summer break.
Apparently not. As the government spends weeks trying to decide who should fill Britain's current leadership void and the Brexit deadline looms ever closer, parliament on Monday voted 223 to 25 to take summer recess from 25 July to 3 September.
This means that as of 25 July, parliament will spend six of the 15 weeks left before 31 October not in session.
Labour seems to have told its MPs to abstain from the vote, as the party plans to push through a vote of no confidence in the new leader as soon as they take office on 24 July.
If this fails, either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt will likely spend six weeks in Number 10 without having to answer to parliament.
According to the Huffington Post, Independent MP Sarah Wollaston vowed to object to the vote on Monday night.
In an attempt to ensure the new prime minister will be forced to face proper scrutiny before the six-week break ensues, Ms Wollaston has reportedly written a letter to Downing Street asserting they should sit before the liaison committee of select committee chairs ahead of the break. She wrote on Twitter:
She wasn't the only one who felt understandably annoyed.
As ever, people had opposing theories.
With some Tory MPs even floating the idea of proroguing parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit, Westminster could barely be in session before the Halloween deadline arrives.
More: Boris Johnson likes to relax by 'making model buses out of wine boxes'​
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