SCHOOL`S OUT..

Today`s the day when both the House of Commons and the House of Lords pack up for their summer `recess.`  They won`t be back until early September and then only for a week or so before they have another month off for the `conference season.`  Then they`ll have a half term holiday and about another month over the Christmas and New Year period.   It all adds yet more legitimacy to their recent 10% pay award along with the corresponding increase in their pension pots.

Schools are also about to break up for the long summer holidays, followed by a half term break and then Christmas and the New Year.  All very familiar.  Now I might be wrong but I thought the long school summer holidays were introduced in the age of Captain Swing in order that children could help farmers at harvest time.   So I look forward to the teaching profession, at their upcoming `conference season` passing a resolution calling for MPs and peers to spend their summer break helping farmers to bring in the harvest bounty. Seems fair.