A Leicestershire MP has been spending the first few weeks of the political year, the month of October, living on £5 a day.
Andy Reed, Labour MP for Loughborough, spent the parliamentary recess analysing how he spends his time and money in a “life audit,” with the aim of developing a more environmentally sustainable, healthy and generous lifestyle.
He kick-started this new lifestyle by taking part in the Evangelical Alliance initiative 'Simplify', which asks people to spend a month living on a similar amount of money that they might have to spend if they were on benefits. He will donate the money he saves as a result of a simpler October to charity.
It follows similar initiatives in recent years from other church groups such as the Catholic Live Simply [1] campaign and Greenbelt's Year of Living Generously [2].
“If the financial crisis has taught us anything, it’s that we have to learn to consume less,” said Andy Reed MP, who is secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics.
“When a recession hits and we face losing our jobs – a prospect that could be a reality for any MP as the election approaches – it’s good to re-evaluate what is really important.
“We can’t rely on politicians to save our planet, so I am planning on taking personal responsibility for my own lifestyle. If we are going to make a change it has to come from every individual in the UK, not just parliament.”
He has been blogging about his experiences on the Simplify website at www.simplify.org.uk
