Labour cuts the number of days Parliament will sit to lowest figure since 1979

Over the next year Parliament will sit for just 128 days, the lowest figure since 1979.

Although MPs do much valuable work when Parliament isn’t sitting (for example, Hornsey & Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone used this summer’s recess to call round on the residential care homes and sheltered housing in her constituency and last year’s to call round on the shops to find out what issues more effect them and need sorting), cutting back on the amount of time Parliament sites makes it much easier for Government to avoid scrutiny and to push through legislation without proper debate.

Simon Hughes raised this in Parliament yesterday, making the good point that the power to decide such matters should rest with Parliament rather than with the Government.

No surprises that Labour’s response wasn’t to welcome this idea.