EVERY August, MPs have to start thinking about Christmas cards.

The Speaker sends out an order form to each MP, containing two or three designs of cards and details of costs. Most years I’ve chosen a design from the Speaker’s selection; a few years ago I designed my own, using a picture I took of Big Ben and the Speaker’s Christmas tree. And last year, for the first time, I ran a Christmas card competition in one of my local schools.

But this year I’m returning to the “official” card. These are the three designs that have been shortlisted this year. Any thoughts on which one I should go for?

Oh, and to save you the time of complaining about MPs “using tax-payers’ money to buy political propaganda while everyone else has to buy their own Christmas cards, etc…”, let me be clear:  I have never claimed the cost of parliamentary cards on my expenses, mainly because you can’t, not even on the communications allowance. So stick to the art criticism.

And no, the message inside won’t read “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” or any other neutral, vanilla nonsense; it will read “Merry Christmas”.