Summer break

Anything can happen in the next five weeks.

One of the guessing games with which we at Today in Parliament celebrate each parliamentary recess is to predict who will be the first to call for the recall of peers and MPs, and for what reason.

And there's a fistful of pretty gloomy things that could prompt a recall - everything from military intervention in Syria to another euro-zone eruption. Once, the smart money was on Tam Dalyell to be the first to demand that the government summon Parliament back; most scenarios for a recall this summer would probably see the government calling them in, unprompted.

The exception is a new euro-crisis, where Tory sceptics might be keener on a debate in the Commons than coalition ministers. So my money, tentatively, is on the duo of Bernard Jenkin and Bill Cash - select committee chairs with clout in the Commons. Can they make it through August?

And barring a recall, this blog will take its summer siesta, and return, along with MPs, in September. I'll be spending the summer with LBJ; I hope you enjoy yours.

Mark D'Arcy, Parliamentary correspondent Article written by Mark D'Arcy Mark D'Arcy Parliamentary correspondent

Stratagems and spoils

Will unhappiness continue to fester through the Coalition ranks when MPs return in June?

Read full article

More on This Story

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

Features & Analysis

  • The bottoms of Eric Orton's feetFoot loose Watch

    How barefoot Indian tribe inspired a US fitness revolution


  • Anthony Weiner, Medea Benjamin of the group Code Pink, and Amanda BynesTweets of the week

    Hecklers, Anthony Weiner and more - all in 140 characters


  • Eccles cake10 things

    Don't microwave Eccles cakes, and nine other nuggets


  • Mount SharpRed tales

    What we have learnt from Martian probes


Elsewhere on the BBC

  • Five very different people talk to Michelle Fleury (top centre)) about their working lives in Quito, EcaudorWorking Lives Ecuador

    The BBC's Michelle Fleury meets five very different people who live and work in Quito

Programmes

  • XBox OneClick Watch

    How far has Microsoft moved from a purist's game console with the XBox One?

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.