Does Westminster really shut down for Christmas?

If politicians sit back to catch up on their festive TV, it will only be for a few short hours

In the aftermath of an election, MPs won’t have time to take a festive break this year (AP)

Given there was a general election just two weeks ago – and months of turmoil at Westminster preceding the vote – it would hardly have been surprising to witness more tribal members of your family choosing the colour of their Christmas cracker hats to reflect their political allegiances yesterday afternoon.

With one in five British adults predicting a political dispute over the dinner table with relatives this year, politics would have undoubtedly been a major topic of conversation over the turkey dinner.

It’s also the one time of year when all MPs, their aides and Westminster journalists (myself included) decamp from the House of Commons and move away from knife-edge votes to spend a little quality time on the sofa. To coin a phrase: it’s a time to reflect.