Martin Lewis calls for ‘common sense’ ideas to make Britain better

Martin Lewis has launched a campaign asking Britons to share the small, practical changes they would like to see to make the UK a better place.

The money expert has launched the new Small Ideas Initiative with a cross-party collection of politicians and experts, designed to focus on the “smaller fixes across a huge range of areas that could quickly improve daily life.”

Ideas submitted to the initiative should should be practical, low-cost, and non-controversial, Mr Lewis says.

He said: “Every day people daily run into the life-potholes of unintended consequences, clunky systems and poor rules that make things harder than they should be.

“If we can fix some of those frustration points, we can make people’s lives easier, save time and help everyone get on with work or the things they enjoy. The possible combined effect, and feel-good factor, of the fixes combined shouldn’t be underestimated.”

The personal finance guru added that he wants to tap into “collective intelligence” to shape the ideas that the initiative puts forward, with anyone able to share their views.

Mr Lewis says he was inspired to launch the initiative after campaigning to improve with the council tax reduction scheme for people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Hundreds of thousands of people are missing out on the discount which can reduce council tax bills by as much as 100 per cent due to a lack of awareness and different rules between councils, the Money Saving Expert founder has warned.

Other examples given include:

Universal allergy symbols

Introducing a standard allergy symbol on every menu at every restaurant to make it clear if a dish is safe to eat.

Real-time sewage alerts

Making real-time sewage alerts visible at every beach, not just those currently monitored by water companies, so swimmers can make informed decisions.

Fairer car parking charges

Parking charges in the UK have long been criticised as inconsistent and unfair, with drivers often having to pay for a set period of time before they know exactly how long they will be.

Clearer naming of tax-free childcare

A common bugbear shared by Mr Lewis. Tax-free childcare gives parents a 20 per cent top up on money used to pay for child care. It does not reduce or remove taxes that the parents must pay.

The campaign comes as new prime minister Andy Burnham sets his sights on several similar long-standing issues which cost households money but have gone unchallenged by government.

This includes a ban on “subscription traps”, first announced by Sir Keir Starmer, which will make it easier to cancel contracts and compel companies to make it clear when one will renew at a higher price.

Earlier this week, the government also said it would scrap some of the extra charges people face when flying, such as having to pay extra to sit with their children and “unnecessary” admin costs.

Those interest can submit their ideas to the Small Ideas Initiative on its website.