Some MPs have yet to join holiday mood

WITH Tony Blair set to start his delayed summer holiday at Sir Cliff Richards' Barbados villa - I always thought the West Indies were prone to hurricanes in August - what about our own MPs? Surprsingly, many seem to be still on duty.

Eric Pickles (Tory, Brentwood & Ongar) is keeping up his prodigious local work rate, intervening in the recruitment crisis at Ongar fire station, and finding time to attend Toot Hill and District horticultural show.

Tim Yeo (Tory, South Suffolk), in his capacity as Chairman of the House of Commons environmental audit committee, made the headlines with a report calling for a curb on 4x4 vehicles, a reduction in speed limits on motorways and other main roads, and an increase in the airport departurte tax, all of which is designed to held harmful CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile David Ruffley (Tory, Bury St Edunds) - recovering at home from a DIY accident - has voiced opposition to Chancellor Gordon Brown's "latest money-making ruse - a new stealth tax on British holidays" and has shown his concern that the East pf England is the largest emitter of CO2 from domestic sources in the whole of the UK.

And Richard Spring (Tory, West Suffolk), after sounding off about the role the East of England Regional Assembly played in yet more delays on the building of a new stretchof the A11 at Elvedon - has jetted off as one of the Westminster Foundation's ambassadors to the emerging democracies.

I assume the others are building sandcastles and consuming sangria on the Costas as they look forward (?!) to the upcoming party conference season.

Never mind, John Prescott thinks he's in charge as so all is well down on the ranch.