MPs will only have to sit in Parliament for 145 days next year (Picture: Getty/KPD PhotoDesign)

MPs are set to enjoy an extra week away from the office next year to accommodate the planned referendum on Scottish independence.

The move means MPs will sit in the House of Commons for a total of 145 working days in 2014.

The change came about after the Liberal Democrats had to rearrange the party’s autumn conference to make way for Scotland’s vote on independence.

The Lib Dem conference was supposed to kick-off in the third week of September – for which MPs would have received a week off.


However, it has now been pushed back to October 4 to make way for the September 18 vote on Scottish independence, for which another week off has been created.



‘Cutting the number of days Parliament is sitting further undermines the ability of MPs to hold the government and ministers to account,’ said Robert Oxley, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Labour MP Angela Eagle said the change was ‘strange’ (Picture: PA)

The additional recess was announced last month by the deputy leader of the Commons and Lib Dem MP Tom Brake.

In response, Labour MP for Wallasey Angela Eagle told the House: ‘I understand why the Scottish referendum has disrupted the usual arrangements but it does seem a bit strange that we have had to make changes to accommodate the 2014 Liberal Democrats conference.

‘At the rate they are losing members, next year they could hold it in a telephone box over the weekend.’

A few more days may be clawed back on to accommodate the 13 Fridays over the year on which MPs consider Private Members’ Bills.

Some critics have said that the 145-day total is considerably less than the 224 working days most people in the UK work.

During recesses, however, MPs can spend the time meeting with constituents and planning changes for the local community.