The Government has basically run out of business

Lords know they’re worth it, does the PM?

The House of Lords is back at work this week. Though not for long.

Peers got an extra week’s break at Easter because there’s not much for them to do. The Government has basically run out of business.

It’s rumoured Parliament could break up as early as this week for a recess that will roll the traditional Whitsun half-term break and prorogation the time off before the Queen’s Speech into one.

More likely it will be next week though that’ll still be seven days earlier than scheduled.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Government tries to get out early in order to avoid a Wednesday session of Prime Minister’s Questions or whether they feel confident enough now in contrast to last year to send David Cameron out to bat expecting him to knock Ed Miliband for six one last time before European and local council elections on May 22.

Some peers are rather upset at this lack of sitting time. They’re not all filthy rich grandees. Some actually rely on their £300 a day allowance to live on.

Lord Glasman, left-wing wonk and pal of Ed Miliband, spoke of how being ennobled meant for the first time in his life he didn’t have to worry about how he’d pay the bills. He may have to break out the worry beads.

If the House of Lords sits for as little as five days out of a possible 37 since the start of the Easter recess, as is entirely possible, that’s a pay cut of nearly ten grand.

Former Scottish First Minister Lord McConnell recently lived on a food budget of £1 a day for charity. He might have to get used to it.

The idea that the inhabitants of the House of Lords are necessarily wealthy is just one myth about the place.

It’s supposed to be more civilised than the Commons, but who can forget Baroness Trumpington sticking two fingers up to former Defence Secretary, Tom King, when he made reference to her advanced age.

Such an act would be ruled unparliamentary in the lower chamber.

Though it’s that sort of behaviour that has put the new memoir by the former World War Two codebreaker and all-round top gal top of many in Parliament’s reading list. And there is intrigue in the Lords too.

For while the Lords are back this week one man will be missing from the Government frontbench.

Earl Attlee is the grandson of Clement Attlee, undoubtedly one of the three best Prime Ministers of the 20th Century. How you rank them Churchill and Thatcher being the others depends on your preference for war or welfare.

But despite being a dead ringer for Labour’s greatest PM he sits on the Tory benches.

He was on the front bench until last month as Transport Spokesman. He’s so keen on transport he’s nicknamed Wheels so it was a surprise when he stepped down.

A public row with Chief Whip, Baroness Anelay, was apparently followed by a meeting with Tory Leader in the Lords, Jonathan Hill, who allegedly told Attlee that, given his feelings, he should resign.

The irony being that Lord Hill was the man who tried to quit his Government job in 2012 but when he went to see David Cameron, the Prime Minister was distracted and didn’t hear his resignation, forcing him to stay on.

Now it’s rumoured that Cameron has received a complaint about his party’s leadership in the Lords. And that’s when it gets interesting

The fate of Earl Attlee is unimportant. But David Cameron’s questionable party management skills do matter.

He’s going to need all the friends he can get if as seems likely the Conservatives trail Labour and Ukip at the Euro elections.

Downing Street has paid little attention to the Lords since the Coalition was formed.

Earl Attlee’s resignation could be the alarm David Cameron needs to wake up to just how important peers can be.