The advent of the summer parliamentary recess is universally greeted with relief across the Holyrood campus.
I doubt there’s an MSP who isn’t delighted to get off the merry-go-round of three days a week in Holyrood with attendant travel and being able, for a few weeks, to live a life that’s a little less intense.
That’s not to say we’re going to be putting our feet up till the beginning of September when Parliament resumes – especially those of us who hold ministerial responsibilities.
Far from it.
In my case, within 24hrs of Parliament rising I was enroute to France to represent the Government at commemorations of the Battle of the Somme.
Then it was back home for a series of ministerial visits in Aberdeen, Perth, Edinburgh, Greenock and Erskine before finishing week one of the summer ‘holidays’ by holding constituency surgeries in Northmuir, Letham and Arbroath.
I won’t pretend it’ll all be work over the summer recess.
Like most MSPs I have a holiday planned… oh and, in my case, there will be a round of golf or two fitted in!
But just as the summer offers us a chance to take the foot off the gas a little it also opens up the opportunity to get out and about in a way that being tied to parliament gets in the way of.
Recess gives us the time to rebalance our activities.
On top of many visits linked to my role as Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans being in the pipeline, there will be no shortage of constituency surgeries being put on, other meetings held or events attended.
But all at a less intense and frantic pace than characterises the weeks when Parliament is sitting.
