Martin Lewis launches scheme to fix everyday frustrations

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 18:00 · Archive

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has launched the Small Ideas Initiative to gather suggestions for practical, low-cost fixes to everyday problems. The scheme invites the public, charities and others to suggest small systemic issues that, if solved, could improve daily life. Lewis describes these as 'life's potholes' – clunky systems and poorly conceived rules that make things harder than they should be.

The initiative is run by Lewis alongside the innovation charity Nesta and public participation charity Involve, funded by a £175,000 personal donation from Lewis. Ideas can cover anything from health and schools to policing, tech and money. Lewis said: '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.' Ideas must be practical, low-cost and non-controversial; they cannot be too local, overtly political, illegal or harmful. One success already cited is local authorities adopting the same application form and process for vulnerable people to apply for council tax reductions.

A cross-party panel will select about fifty ideas to present to government, councils and regulators. The panel includes Polly Mackenzie, who worked with Lewis to develop the initiative and previously served as director of policy to Nick Clegg, Reform MP Danny Kruger, former Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt, and Tracy Braib, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire. The deadline for submissions is 12 November.

How it is being reported

• What would make your life easier? Martin Lewis asks public for ‘small ideas’ to improve UKFinance expert launches Small Ideas Initiative to gather ‘practical, low-cost’ ideas to put before cross-party panel Every day, people run into what the finance expert Martin Lewis calls “the life-potholes of unintended consequences” – clunky systems and poorly conceived rules that make things harder than they should be. His latest project, the Small Ideas Initiative , will attempt to address that, with a cross-party panel of politicians and policymakers crowdsourcing ideas for everyday fixes to take to government. The ideas could cover anything, from health and schools to policing, tech and…Guardian World · 8 Oct, 17:46
• Martin Lewis in bid to tackle 'life's potholes' after launching new initiativeTV star Martin Lewis is calling on the public and others to suggest seemingly small issues that, if solved, could make a big difference to people's everyday livesThe Mirror · 8 Oct, 08:23

In this story: Martin Lewis · Nesta · Involve · Polly Mackenzie · Danny Kruger · Penny Mordaunt · Tracy Braib · United Kingdom

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