The Parliamentary summer recess creates an open period when there is no real news. With the absence of proper news (and thank goodness for the Olympics this year), the media focuses on other stories in what becomes known as the “Silly Season”. But this year’s non Olympic story is far from silly. The travails of the Labour Party are important for us all.

Opposition parties are important for democracy to function properly. That is why the Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional title that carries privilege and financial support, and why the main opposition party receives taxpayer money to challenge the government. So when the main opposition party collapses into infighting and outright rebellion, it is incredibly bad for politics.

As a Conservative MP, one would expect me to take an instinctive anti-Labour stance, but I see much that is good about the Labour Party. All the Labour MPs I have got to know – and I enjoy the company of many – are genuinely motivated by a desire to serve their communities. Labour approaches running the country in a different way to Conservatives. Broadly, they believe that a central control system is more desirable, whilst Conservatives believe that a market based economy tends to work better. It is an interesting fact that every Labour government there has ever been has increased unemployment so it is debateable whether their approach works, but irrespective of that, even in disagreeing with some of their approaches, I value their contribution and challenge to our proposals.

So when Labour descend into this appalling in fighting, it serves non of us at all. I rather like Jeremy Corbyn. He would be your favourite, if most eccentric, uncle were he a relation. But that doesn’t make him a god leader. The boom in Labour members seems to be more of a fan club mentality than people genuinely seeking to support the Labour cause, and this will lead to an interesting result when the leadership results come in in September.

I have no clue as to what is the future of the Labour Party. I hope is mends itself and re-engages with political debate. It has a history of taking a position that has changed conditions for workers and that is a noble history. Its MPs are intelligent and argue their point well, even if I don’t agree with it. So let’s hope they get back to normal soon.