Tim Loughton: The MP who loves being in hot water

A Conservative MP has revealed he spends up to an hour in the bath every morning "to relax and compose my thoughts for the day ahead".

Tim Loughton is co-chairman of a new all-party group on mindfulness, a form of meditation.

He has claimed "one of the greatest causes of stress in the world was the invention of the shower".

The MP follows in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill, who was also fond of a long soak in a hot bath.

Mr Loughton told BBC 5 live: "As part of my daily bath routine I do a bit of work in the bath, I read papers in the bath, but I also do a bit of mindfulness to relax and compose my thoughts for the day ahead.

"And that's a good use of my time because I'm normally in the bath by about 6 o'clock in the morning - and I'm in my office, as I was this morning, before 8 o'clock in the morning.

"So some people might stay in bed until 8 o'clock - I get up and do some work, but I do it in my bath."

The former children's minister, who last year ran Andrea Leadsom's brief bid to be Conservative leader, says his daily bath is essential to his mental well-being.

Mr Loughton, co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on mindfulness, revealed his morning routine at a conference in London attended by politicians from 15 countries, reported by the Times.

Sir Winston Churchill was famous for taking long baths from which he would dictate letters and conduct meetings, although he would start his working day in his bed.