This idea has been rattling around in my head for a while now, a kind of amalgamation of Supersize vs Superskinny and The Secret Millionaire, and a desire for MPs to really understand what it’s like to live hand to mouth.
My first thought was that perhaps they should try feeding their families with the amount of money that low-paid people have to spare on food. I’m not, by any means, poorly paid at the moment, but after bills, petrol and debt repayments (which I’m trying to do as quickly as possible) I bet that my monthly food budget is the same as some people’s weekly food budget. Fortunately I’m getting pretty good at making tasty and nutritious meals that cost next to nothing.
So, my pitch is this. Take one MP. Take one Civilian. And swap their financial lives for a month. The MP has to manage with the normal person’s bills, taking into account debt repayments etc, on the income that that person would normally get. They can’t take stuff with them (no champagne stashed in suitcases), and their clothes for the length of the experiment should come from the places that the civilian would shop. They can have the basics, but nothing extra.
Then the civilian gets to take their family and live like Elvis or Freddie (you know, a king or queen).
Neither are allowed to duck into each other’s savings (if the civilian even has any), but for that month they can spend what expendable income they have left on WHATEVER THEY WANT. OK, for the sake of the watershed, probably not on drugs or sex, but anything else.
I’ll even be nice and allow London weighting to be added on… but only at the normal percentage for the civilian’s job.
Also, can I go first?
Ta.
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