I am referring, of course, to the start of the traditional parliamentary recess. Tonight, we will hear the thunder of sweaty feet and the gentle brush of ermine being packed away as members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords head off on their annual summer break.

And what a treat it is. Our politicians will not return to Westminster until Monday, October 8, giving them an uninterrupted 74 days to soak up the sun in Tuscan villas, explore Route 66 across America, cruise to the Caribbean, or – possibly worst of all – land themselves on their unsuspecting constituents.

Given the fact that our MPs currently earn £60,277 each, this amounts to their summer breaks being paid for by the taxpayer to the tune of £12,220 per honourable member. And that, of course, does not include the cost of any expenses and benefits they may choose to claim at the same time.

But is it really fair to accuse our national politicians of using the recess to make a land grab for the nearest Costa?

In some cases, undoubtedly, the answer is yes. It's a subject many of them are very twitchy about – after all, no-one likes to be accused of wantonly doing nothing at public expense – but there are a number who are happy to park themselves in a pub, sunbed or taverna for the entire summer.

That having been said, they are probably the same politicians who stumble into the Mother of Parliaments on sitting days to do little more than warm the corner of Annie's Bar or to pick up their Lords attendance fee.

It is in the nature of a democracy that those elected or appointed to the Palace of Westminster are pretty much like the rest of us.

Some will graft until the skin peels from their fingers; some are so indolent that they regard even the beating of their own heart as unnecessary and excessive effort. The bulk of them are in the middle, doing a workmanlike job and trying as best they can to build their careers while at the same time honestly representing their constituents.

The fact that most MPs no longer have a second job (historically, the preserve of Tories anyway) means that they have no excuse but to devote at least some of their time outside Parliament to those who elected them.

A good number do return to their constituencies over the summer, carrying out local functions diligently and catching up on work and contacts missed while they are at Westminster.

Shopkeepers, hospitals, residential homes, churches, lunch groups – all face the terrifying prospect of their local elected member, all suit and smiles, crashing in through the door with an outstretched hand and asking what he or she can do for them.

If you're in government, of course, you don't really get the break anyway. Whitehall has to continue to function right through summer, even if Westminster is more shut down than Luddenden on a wet Sunday afternoon. After all, Ministers can't allow the public to think that they have abrogated the running of Britain to the Civil Service, even though the latter has a 1,000-year track record of being able to do the job perfectly competently on its own.

Tony Blair never seemed to enjoy his break much. Alastair Campbell's recently published diaries reveal that the then-Premier lived in a state of constant nervousness and agitation, calling him at all hours of the day and night. If the PM and Campbell were both on holiday at the same time, then presumably both vacations were ruined. A real shame because if they'd been able to relax and sleep, they'd arguably have done less damage to themselves, the country and the world.

Other government Ministers also feel the need to show themselves as being on duty over summer – to a greater or lesser extent. Gordon Brown normally goes off to Cape Cod – a stolid and sensible choice of vacation mirroring his personality. This year, though, he has vowed to stay in Britain, leaving 1,000 bed and breakfasts from The Lizard up to Cape Wrath living in terror lest he and his family crash squawking, suitcases and all, into their vestibule.

They needn't worry. Gordon probably won't leave the office for more than about 24 hours anyway, and having met him on a number of occasions, I can testify that he's actually a thoroughly decent bloke who you genuinely wouldn't mind sharing a couple of pints with. His wife is nice too. They're not the sort of people who are going to festoon the Ivy Gables Guest House with secure satellite dishes or start falling out in the next bedroom.

In all honesty, most MPs work hard during the recess, and everyone deserves a holiday. Personally, though, I'd cut the break to six weeks and insist that they split the time between a break and constituency work. That way, the voters get value, and we don't have to fight them on the beaches – not all summer at least.


Andrew Collier was a political journalist in Scotland. He now runs his own media company in West Yorkshire