Today was my wife's birthday. But that did not prevent me from attending the funeral of long-time supporter Norman Randall, a farmer from Stoborough. He was one of the those special country men, who worked the land all their lives, with a devoted family and many friends.

Left for Dorset in the morning on my motorcycle. I was ensconced in one of my regular meetings with the CEO of the Tri-Council, Matt Prosser, and some of his team by 1400. These meetings are in private and they cover a multitude of topics from the micro to the macro.

An early morning run and into the House. Routine matters to 1130 when I entered the Chamber in time for PMQs. I had a question, so it was important to have a seat and microphone. I followed the weekly contest between Corbyn and Mrs May.

Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, today asked the Prime Minister to join her ministers in supporting a grant of £18 million for flood relief in Weymouth.

What a day! It began with an early morning run. Good time to clear the head in preparation for what was always expected to be a close call. It did not turn out that way, but the shenanigans carried out by a handful of Remain MPs on our side was embarrassing.

This week will hopefully see the successful conclusion of the European Union Withdrawal Bill. The Bill is designed to do one thing, and one thing only: to place all EU law into British law. After that we can decide which bits we want to keep, improve or reject.

THE best way to guard against a major conflict, is to prepare for one.

In 1949, scarred by two World Wars and worried about on-going Soviet aggression, the USA, Canada and 10 European countries did just that by forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, today encouraged small and medium Dorset businesses to bid for supply chain opportunities available as part of the £7.5 billion package of contracts already awarded to deliver Phase One of the new, high speed rail network.

D Day ... the day that thousands of British and US troops stormed ashore on the Normandy beaches and began, at great sacrifice, to free an enslaved Europe. Nothing as dramatic as that happened today, although crucial votes beckon next Tuesday as the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to the Commons.

Up to London early in the morning, a working lunch and then a meeting with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Industry, Richard Harrington, and the Group President of a new marine-engineering company, based in Portland.