From blood group ID to cycle racks : I asked for little ways to fix broken Britain and the public’s ideas give me hope | Martin Lewis | News.gg

From blood group ID to cycle racks : I asked for little ways to fix broken Britain and the public’s ideas give me hope | Martin Lewis | News.gg

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The GuardianFactualityLean Left
From blood group ID to cycle racks : I asked for little ways to fix broken Britain and the public’s ideas give me hope | Martin Lewis
There are thousands of small tips to make our country better. People know what is wrong, and it’s clear they have solutions Have you ever come across an annoying little problem and thought, “why don’t they just fix that?” If so, I want to hear from you. I’m looking for your ideas for practical, low-cost, non-controversial ways to improve the UK – whether that’s health, schools, transport, business, housing, policing, justice, tech, shopping, money – or owt else entirely. The spark for this happened just over a year ago, when I spoke at Politico’s fringe event at Labour’s conference. The key discussion was about Keir Starmer’s unpopularity. I was asked what I’d have advised the government when it took power, so I said : “Come up with 100 small things that piss people off and that you can fix, and they can see that you have fixed them.” Then I reeled off a list of small fixes for my subject area: the counterproductive way council tax debt is escalated; renaming “tax-free childcare”; and so on. Tell people their blood group at their first adult blood test. Knowing you’ve a common or rare type may make you more inclined to donate. It’s a brilliantly simple nudge that could widen the donor pool and save lives. A mandatory “AI-edited” label on property photos on estate agency sites. A “no wrong door” rule for councils and public bodies: report a problem anywhere, and they must pass it to the right place, rather than bouncing you from department to department, or from council to contractor to agency. Cycle racks on the back of buses. Cinema seating plans that clearly show aisles and walkways for disability access. A voluntary wheelie-bin sharing scheme, so neighbours with spare capacity can help stop bins overflowing. Martin Lewis is the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com and the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity. He has just set up the Small Ideas Initiative Continue reading...
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