Nadine Dorries: We're All Going On A Summer Holiday!"

Nadine Dorries, on "form":

I am taking August off, as I do every year. The truth is that MPs of all parties work very hard on behalf of their constituencies and work very, very long hours in a stressful pressure cooker.

I think a lot of people who don't work in the extraordinary environment of Parliament would love a full month off each summer. But because their employers won't allow it, they can't do so. However Nadine appears more than happy to ignore her employers - her constituents - for a good month each year. If I was one of her employers/constituents, then I would be looking at replacing Nadine with another employee, who perhaps is less willing to take a solid month off each summer. 

And all this talk about long hours and the pressure cooker environment would create more sympathy if MPs didn't choose their life style. They choose to run, they choose to enter the Commons and they choose to stay in government. If it is really that bad, then Nadine and the other whiners should just stand down. You won't find too many people mourning the loss of such politicians either...

Would you ever see a newspaper headline ‘teachers take six weeks summer holiday? Never, because there are too many teachers who buy newspapers, not a good commercial move.

You might not see that headline, but it doesn't stop people from making comments about it. Besides, it was my understanding that the best teachers work hard both in term time and over the holidays. During the latter period they do lesson plans etc. Interesting, though, that Dorries notes that criticising teachers is not a good commercial move. Because her words could be construed as an attack on teachers and their holidays - something that can't be an astute political move on her part. 

I will be away all of August, like I am every year and unlike every other year, this time I won’t be phoning the office twice a day as I have for the last four years. Those days are over.

So, in the year when your expense claims are dragged into the spotlight and you are criticised heavily for the way you have behaved, you announce publicly that you are going to have no interaction with your constituency for a whole month? Smart move, there, Nads. Hopefully it will be noted by your constituents, and - combined with your more outrageous expense claims - will make the case for your constituents electing someone else at the next opportunity extremely strong.