MPs in the West Midlands today revealed they are largely sticking to Britain for their main summer holiday - although some are managing to catch up on some summer sun abroad too.
Keen to show solidarity with those unable to afford foreign breaks during the credit crunch, our politicians will travel to all four corners of the UK.
Both Gordon Brown and David Cameron have made much of the fact they have chosen to stay in England this summer. Some Midlands MPs have followed suit, but others are determined to escape our unpredictable weather. Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho has tried to guarantee the best of both worlds. The Walthos are off to the Lake District for a few days. Then later in the month, they will be visiting Turkey.
South Staffordshire MP Sir Patrick Cormack will be heading north for a family holiday in Scotland, while fellow Tory Michael Fabricant, member for Lichfield, said the credit crunch meant that he would be spending longer in Wales than he usually does. “I go walking in the Snowdonia National Park, but I am also going to Equador and trekking in Columbia.” Another parliamentarian who will be spending time under canvas is Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, who is planning to spend at least a long weekend camping at Bala in North Wales. The Austins are also off to Devon for a week.
Stafford MP David Kidney has only one break in the diary so far - a long weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon - to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his marriage to wife Elaine. “We’re staying at a country house hotel within walking distance of the town, so we’ll be doing our bit to save the environment,” said the Labour MP.
Also concerned about his carbon footprint is climate change campaigner Rob Marris, who is letting the train take the strain to whisk him and partner Julia to Languedoc in the south of France. “I certainly won’t be going by air,” said the Wolverhampton South West MP. By coincidence, Wolverhampton North East MP Ken Purchase and wife Brenda will also be heading for Languedoc, but travelling by car.
Walsall North MP David Winnick, a long-term opponent of the long summer recess, will, nevertheless, take a two-week holiday in the Italian Lakes.
As well as taking in a few days cricket watching, Warley MP John Spellar will be spending a couple of weeks in France where he insists his reading material will include back copies of Hansard.
At least Conservative MP Richard Shepherd will feel right at home during his summer break. He is spending August in his Aldridge and Brownhills constituency.
9 Comments
Does anyone really care ?
It would probably be a better state of affairs if they all went a long way away and never came back !!.
so they should have a holiday in Britain , but think they should have fact finding holidays and come see how we all live on bugets and hardly no money, come down to caldmore or blakenall see how people really live
So they should have holiday in this country but I think it should be more of a fact finding holiday and spend it in places where unemployment is low, or to live in a council estate they can see how we can’t afford to go on holiday while they have regular visits aboard. (looking for places to twin towns with)
who gives a monkey they should go to outer space as they would feel at home there as they are a waste of space anyway austin out
can we see the expense claims for these
There seems to be Quite a few MP’s visiting lakes, my advice to them is, GO JUMP IN.
Give them all a FREE holiday abroad and make sure its a one way ticket and take their passports of em. At least that may be one way of getting rid of em.
Wales Eh! What tase, but North Wales?
OK I’ve got nothing againt my northern cousins , south and west Wales are just great too and Englands south coast this time of the year defines the phrase green and pleasant land. Maybe we need to appreciate the beaty we have here rather than automatically assume that foreign is best. As for the weather, we’re British for crying out loud, we can deal with anything. Maybe the good thing to come out of this is that we finally appreciate the fantastic nation (all four countries) that make up the United Kingdm, Gods own nation!! Course Cymru Am Beth, but I am after all a Cardiff boy so totally biased. As for our MPs , when have most of them ever had to deal with such mundane tasks as worrying bout the family trip?
Hahahaha @ David Kidney and his comment “so we’ll be doing our bit to save the environment”.
What is this man on and do we really care… if i was his wife id be wanting to know why after 30 years of marriage to that man all he can afford is a lousy weekend in Stratford…surely expenses pay more than the cost of that!