Whilst discussing the upcoming Police Commissioner elections, Harry and I came up with a concept that might make our elected representatives more representative.

Let’s means test our MPs.

It’s been suggested that the proportion of millionaires in the Commons is in the region of 100 times greater than that of the rest of the country. And it doesn’t seem that much is being done to fix that. There are ways to get into politics, but generally you need to have come from money to make the most of them.

Really, a millionaire doesn’t need the, relatively, paltry wage being an MP brings in. So let’s stop paying them. Let’s make the basic wage higher for our politicians, but do a means test on them before they receive it. If their net worth is over a certain amount, they don’t get paid. The money saved can go toward paying interns rather than expecting them to fund themselves.

Obviously, oversight of MPs outside earnings and interests would have to be especially strict, and punishment for not declaring them suitably harsh. But run properly, it might get more diversity into the Commons.