More than 1 year ago the coalition government announced austerity measures aimed at reducing budget deficit. Much of the resentment and opposition to these measures could well have been avoided if the MPs had shown the way by taking the same cuts as the rest of the Public Sector of which they too are a part. The cuts of typically 25% would have reduced the number of MPs from 650 to 487. The 650 MPs representing only 62 million people compares very badly with only 535 members of both houses (Representatives and Senate) in USA where they represent 300 million people. The fact we have about 789 members of the House of Lords to support at public expense makes the numbers in the UK ridiculous. This reduction to 487 MPs in the Commons should be the first part of a major reform of both houses. The government should show leadership by accepting the pain of their own legislation. It is not unreasonable to ask MPs to take some of their own medicine and lead the way by example.