Happy holidays, all...as if...

The turmoil in the Labour Party over anti-semitism will not disappear during August, and the Conservative Party will continue to tear itself apart, while Brexit will remain the obdurate elephant in the room.

Outsiders wonder why this anti-semitism dispute in Labour cannot be easily resolved. But there is no sign of that happening with many Labour MPs deeply upset by leader Jeremy Corbyn’s attitude to the problem. There could even be calls for his replacement. Two MPs face disciplinary action. Dame Margaret Hodge, pictured, orally attacked Corbyn to his face and Ian Austin has described Labour as a “sewer” so long as the row continues. Both these MPs lost relatives in the Holocaust.

Meanwhile Tory malcontents over Brexit continue to make Theresa May’s already difficult position even worse, while Boris Johnson, the ex-Foreign Secretary, is already showing signs of becoming a threat on the back-benches. At the same time Sir Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, appears to be planning a new party, although he denies this. That would cause yet more ructions in the Lib Dems.

What a happy band of campers they all are.

- A major crackdown on bullies who frighten, threaten and generally intimidate candidates at elections, as well as their campaigners and supporters, is to be introduced by the Government.

And not before time.

There is now plain evidence that people who fought the last general election had to tolerate outrageous threats. This disgraceful behaviour even continues against sitting MPs, mostly female ones – and is getting worse. Much of this vicious conduct comes from sadistic trolls on social media. And not only does it put the frighteners on citizens who want to serve the public, but it also discourages many people from doing so. One sanction proposed is that those guilty of this offence would themselves be barred from holding public office. And when the legislation comes before Parliament, I hope it will contain much more severe punishments than that.