What I'd Do If I Was In Charge

Suzi just asked me what the first thing I'd do if I was in charge of the country and why. So I had a think about it, and discounted banning the French & grouping all the gingers in Scotland so I knew where they were. And as funny as leaving the EU would be, I think I have a better idea.

I'd set a flat rate of pay for MPs and it would only go up at the rate of inflation - as it would for all Civil Service staff and everyone employed through the Government, like the Police, Armed Forces, Nurses, Teachers etc.

MPs would get a flat in London (council owned) to live in, plus they'd get rail travel allowance back to their constituency every week, and they'd get paid for reasonable expenses (like keeping up a website, postage, that sort of thing) - but they'd not be allowed to have any other source of income. No jobs in the City, no company directorships, no book deals, no lecture tours.

And like a proper job, they'd all have to attend every day in Parliament, and go to their constituencies when Parliament was closed (and I'm proposing Westminster only being open on Monday to Wednesday so they Thursday to Sunday with the people who vote for them so they can get a better idea of what's going on in their areas)

Oh, and the MP must have lived in the area they represent for a minimum of five years before they can be elected.

Yes, I know it's dull. And in retrospect, I'd probably be more popular if I decided to invade France and then flatten Germany, but as I'm not that twat Richard Littlejohn, I'll try to avoid lazy racial slurs disguised as popularism.