Fed up with pointless rules, confusing paperwork or everyday frustrations that nobody seems interested in fixing? Martin Lewis wants to hear from you - and your idea could help change Britain for the better.
MoneySavingExpert founder and consumer champion Martin Lewis has launched an ambitious new initiative that could turn ordinary people's common-sense suggestions into real changes to the way Britain works.
And in a refreshing departure from the usual political arguments, he's brought together politicians from across the political spectrum to help make it happen.
The Small Ideas Initiative, launched on 8 October 2026, is asking people throughout the UK to suggest simple, affordable improvements that could make everyday life easier for millions.
The thinking behind it is wonderfully straightforward: rather than spending all our time arguing about Britain's biggest problems, why not start fixing the smaller ones that almost everyone agrees need sorting out?
Small Ideas, Big Improvements
We've all experienced it.
A government form that's unnecessarily complicated. A parking system that charges you for time you haven't used. Confusing rules that make something straightforward far more difficult than it needs to be.
These frustrations might seem relatively insignificant individually, but together they waste time, cost money and make everyday life harder.
Martin Lewis believes that fixing enough of them could make a genuinely significant difference to the country.
His new initiative will collect suggestions from the public, develop the most promising into practical policy proposals and campaign to persuade decision-makers to put them into action.
And this isn't simply another online suggestion box.
Lewis has personally donated £175,000 to fund the project, which will be run by two respected charities: Nesta's Centre for Collective Intelligence and public participation charity Involve.
The initiative is independent of MoneySavingExpert and has been established as a year-long experiment in turning public ideas into meaningful change.
What Sort of Ideas Are They Looking For?
The beauty of the project is that suggestions don't need to be revolutionary.
In fact, the organisers are specifically looking for changes that are practical, relatively inexpensive and so sensible that most people would struggle to disagree with them.
Some examples include:
- Fairer parking charges: Allowing motorists to clock out of parking meters, paying only for the time they've actually parked rather than guessing in advance.
- Clearer food allergy information: Introducing standardised allergy information on restaurant menus so customers can make safer, more informed choices.
- Safer trips to the seaside: Making real-time sewage pollution alerts available at every beach, helping families know when it's safe to swim.
- Simpler public services: Removing unnecessary bureaucracy and making important forms and application processes easier to understand.
These are examples of the kinds of changes the initiative hopes to encourage, rather than policies that have already been approved.
Suggestions can cover almost anything, including healthcare, education, housing, transport, shopping, policing, technology, business and personal finances.
The organisers are particularly interested in ideas that could benefit millions of people a little, or thousands of people a great deal.
The key requirement? Don't just identify a problem - suggest a realistic solution.
Inspired by a Simple Change That Could Help Thousands
One of the inspirations behind the initiative came from Lewis's campaigning around council tax reductions for people with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia and severe strokes.
Under existing rules, some people with severe mental impairment can qualify for substantial council tax reductions or exemptions.
However, different councils have historically used different application forms and procedures, creating unnecessary confusion for families, carers and charities trying to help vulnerable people access support.
Lewis and his team campaigned for a simpler, standardised system.
That work helped secure commitments to introduce a common application process in Wales and England.
It demonstrated something important: a relatively modest administrative change could make a meaningful difference to the lives of people who need help.
And it prompted a bigger question.
If one small improvement could make such a difference, what might happen if Britain identified and tackled dozens of similar problems?
Politicians Putting Differences Aside
Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the Small Ideas Initiative is the breadth of political support behind it.
At a time when political debate can feel increasingly divided, Lewis has assembled a panel that brings together representatives and figures associated with Labour, the Conservatives, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the SNP.
The panel includes:
- Penny Mordaunt, former Conservative Leader of the House of Commons.
- Danny Kruger MP, representing Reform UK.
- Tracy Brabin, Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire.
- Jonathan Bartley, former Green Party co-leader.
- Polly Mackenzie, former Liberal Democrat policy director.
- Emma Roddick MSP, from the SNP.
- Dame Tamara Finkelstein, former senior civil servant and now Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
- Kwajo Tweneboa, prominent social housing campaigner.
The panel will be chaired by Martin Lewis.
Its purpose isn't to settle the country's biggest political disagreements.
Instead, it will focus on proposals that can attract broad support regardless of party allegiance.
The organisers are aiming for suggestions that around 80% of people, whatever their political views, would consider sensible.
It's a welcome reminder that improving Britain doesn't always have to be a political battleground.
How Will Your Idea Become Reality?
The project has a structured process designed to give the best suggestions a genuine chance of becoming policy.
Stage 1 - Britain has its say
Members of the public, charities and organisations are invited to submit their ideas through the Small Ideas Initiative website.
Submissions are open until 12 November 2026.
Stage 2 - Finding the best suggestions
Nesta's Centre for Collective Intelligence will review the submissions and identify those that meet the project's criteria.
Ideas must be achievable, affordable, beneficial and broadly non-controversial.
Stage 3 - Turning ideas into proper proposals
Specialists, academics and policy experts brought together by Involve will examine the strongest suggestions.
They'll assess whether the ideas are workable and develop them into credible proposals that governments, councils and regulators could realistically adopt.
Stage 4 - The public gets another say
A longlist of potential improvements will be published, allowing people to provide feedback on which changes they believe matter most.
Stage 5 - Taking 50 ideas to decision-makers
Finally, the cross-party panel will select approximately 50 proposals.
These will form a manifesto of practical improvements that the initiative will take to government departments, local authorities and regulators, campaigning for them to become reality.
Of course, there is no guarantee that every proposal will be adopted. But the project aims to give sensible public suggestions a much stronger route into the decision-making process.
Giving Ordinary People a Voice
What makes this initiative particularly interesting is its belief that the people who experience problems are often best placed to identify the solutions.
Politicians, civil servants and policy experts don't necessarily encounter the same everyday frustrations as the people using public services, running small businesses, caring for relatives or navigating complicated systems.
By gathering ideas directly from the public, the initiative hopes to tap into a huge reservoir of practical experience and common sense.
It also offers people an opportunity to contribute positively rather than simply complain about what isn't working.
Instead of asking who is responsible for a problem, it asks a potentially more useful question:
How can we fix it?
And by involving experts and representatives from across the political spectrum, the project hopes to make those solutions more likely to attract widespread support.
Why This Is Good News for Britain
At Big Up Britain, we believe that good news isn't just about celebrating what our country already does well.
It's also about recognising people and projects that are actively trying to make Britain better.
The Small Ideas Initiative ticks plenty of boxes.
It encourages ordinary people to participate in improving their country. It promotes cooperation rather than political division. It focuses on practical improvements rather than grand promises.
And importantly, it recognises that positive change doesn't always require enormous budgets or sweeping reforms.
Sometimes, making Britain better might be as simple as changing an outdated rule, simplifying an application form or making an everyday service work the way it should have done in the first place.
If even a proportion of the proposed changes eventually become reality, the combined benefits could be substantial.
Less wasted time. Less unnecessary expense. Less frustration.
And perhaps a little more confidence that the people making decisions are listening to the people affected by them.
That's something worth getting behind.
Have You Got an Idea to Make Britain Better?
The Small Ideas Initiative is open to suggestions from people across the UK.
You don't need political connections, specialist qualifications or experience in government.
You just need to identify something that could work better and suggest a practical way to improve it.
Perhaps it's a frustrating rule you've encountered at work, an unnecessarily complicated process you've helped a relative navigate, or a simple change that could make life easier for thousands of people.
Whatever it is, Martin Lewis and his team want to hear it.
Submit your idea at www.small-ideas.org
Deadline: 12 November 2026
Because sometimes the biggest improvements begin with the smallest ideas.
And who knows? Your suggestion might just help make Britain a better place for everyone.
