Last week we finished our marathon stint on the Marine and Coastal Access Bill one day less than six months from the Lords Second Reading debate last December.

It is a huge and vital new Bill and there have been a lot of improvements made during the 17 sessions of its passage through the Lords.

Between the Government, the opposition parties and other members of the House, we’ve done a pretty good job.

It’s now starting in the Commons and it may be the autumn before it becomes law.

As far as our input goes, it’s been a good example of how the legislative process can keep on working, and sometimes work well, in spite of everything going on.

Of course people may ask – what have these new laws to do with us, up in the Pennines?

Well, most of us go to the English seaside at some time, perhaps more often at present while people are saving by not going abroad.

And the health of the seas around our islands, fish stocks, and a proper marine planning and conservation system are surely vital to everyone who lives here.

This week we are back to more political territory in the form of the Political Parties and Elections Bill.

The “sexy” bits of this Bill are about parties and money – donations to parties and how much they can spend on campaigning before elections.

It’s likely that Pendle will once again feature in the debate. Last week Pendle MP Gordon Prentice called on the Government to take action against large offshore donors.

In committee the Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours suggested that the Tories are trying to “buy” this parliamentary seat with money from central party sources connected with Lord Ashcroft, whose taxation status is still the subject of much media speculation.

When this Bill was mooted last year it was thought there would be a big clamp-down on parties’ spending between elections. But what we have is a damp squib.

It will be interesting to see whether the current drive to clean up politics includes any renewed government intentions in this area.