What do people think will make Britain great again?

[Logiclady94]

I keep coming back to this thought and I wondered what other people thought so I decided to ask the wonderful people on mumsnet for their opinions. I was reading that more jobs were lost, people are being told to return to work to save the economy, coronavirus means that people still don’t feel comfortable doing that, work/life balance needs sorting, income and taxes need rectifying. Not an opinion but you see a lot of the richer need punishing, house prices are ridiculous..

So my wondering is what are people’s thoughts genuine thoughts about what they would change with this country?

Wider understanding that the "great" in "Great Britain" is a reference to the size of the island, not a comment on our supposed brilliance. Might reduce some of the idiotic decision-making based on ego.

I'd just be happy if our abusive power structures were dismantled and we had a system of government capable of making long term decisions and that valued individual human lives for more than their ability to perform as worker drones.

IME 'make it great again' usually means 'make it white again'.

That's what Trump means anyway.

Genuine question: do we need to be “great”? Were we ever great? Or were we just a colonial power who exploited the people we conquered and the resources we acquired?

Isn’t part of the problem this misplaced focus on an ersatz “greatness” when we might be better concentrating on being competent?

You’re asking about ‘making Britain great again’ but your only concern seems to be for higher earners
That’s not how a great country is run

Limiting population growth and severely restricting immigration
Massive social investment in housing, health, universal education and early childhood education
Civics education and compulsory 6months community service for all 18 year olds
Pornography only accessible with proof of age over 20

I don’t know but I’d like to see professionals in the key secretary jobs if that makes sense.

A teacher or ex teacher as the education secretary

A doctor or nurse as the health secretary etc

I think it would really help. But I know little of politics so this could be pure tosh!

See my thoughts are definitely on making us more self sufficient as humans. I mean my children are not of school age but I have two younger siblings who are and the things they are taught these days just seem so bizarre and not really necessary information, don’t get me wrong some lessons are but aspects within those lessons are not.

I remember learning things in English and History that are just not necessary now I am an adult. I wish I had been taught money management at school- budgeting, taxes etc. I wish lessons like Geography and History had more relevant up to date information than what they did.

English was ridiculous, I mean watching films like Romeo and Juliet etc isn’t necessary. They are not lessons which help me now as an adult.

As people say high school should be for teaching life skills & then college should be for further education in those areas. Then if people want to go to University there should be a qualifying bar that people need to pass in order to attend, then funding would be more readily available. There used to be a criteria in order to get into a university.

Or university’s be divided into what they are teaching- If you want a career in the jobs that require proper degrees like medical careers etc than the classic universities be the place to go.

If you want a career in a certain area there should be colleges that you apply for with certain roles which give you the qualifications you need without putting yourself in debt to do so.

@EggBoxes

Great again? When was it great before?

Some people think back in the 1920s, when "we controlled half the world"

Honestly, people not being selfish would be a start. But impossible to implement.

Great countries treat their most vulnerable citizens - especially vulnerable children - well.

@Logiclady94 to be fair there is a big push on that for the curriculum this year. I’ve just re written the curriculum in my school to link every topic to culture and careers relevant to pupils. Do percentages will be taught my linking to finding appropriate loans (comparing high street banks to pay day loans) I do still think the National curriculum is outdated though!

English was ridiculous, I mean watching films like Romeo and Juliet etc isn’t necessary. They are not lessons which help me now as an adult.

Culture and the arts, history, etc, are the things that make a civilisation. Without them, we are uncivilised and would truly be on the decline.

Thepeopleversuswork , agree completely. Why we continue to strive for a 'seat at the table' is a bit beyond me - you don't see Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands being so keen to be involved in world politics and they appear to be doing much better than we are economically and socially.

Russia, China, the US and to a certain extent India, Iran and Brazil seem to want to be 'world powers', and tbh it doesn't seem to be doing any of them much good.

@thepeopleversuswork

Genuine question: do we need to be “great”? Were we ever great? Or were we just a colonial power who exploited the people we conquered and the resources we acquired?

Isn’t part of the problem this misplaced focus on an ersatz “greatness” when we might be better concentrating on being competent?

The boomer obsession with 'we won the war' can be counter productive.

While it's often referred to as 'our finest hour' and a key part of our national identity, which we've got just about everything wrong as a nation over the last 50 years whereas Germany, who were defeated, have got so much right and are living in the right century.

[quote Logiclady94]@Lostnameperson- It’s not an opinion but I’ve read articles saying that Britain’s richest should be taxed a higher amount or their wages be capped above a certain point.. just because they earn more. Like I say I don’t agree and I think they shouldn’t be punished because their income is higher.. there should only be consequences if they are fiddling the system in any way shape or form[/quote]
How is taxing those who have more “punishment”? I hate this kind of language about perfectly fair taxation. Reducing the gap between the richest and the poorest would be an excellent thing in my view.

We need to start making things again and stop being a purely service based economy. Reduce higher education, we don’t need 50% of the population to be graduates and we definitely need more craftspeople.

And forget any idea about being “great”. Victoria died more than a century ago along with the odious empire.

I agree with @lazylinguist that pursuing greatness is part of the problem.

Too much exceptionalism, too much looking backwards imo

the term Great Britain merely refers to the largest of the British Isles . Unless they are renamed, & I understand why Ireland would want to do so, it still is Great Britain.

Closing tax loopholes and making big businesses and the super rich pay their way

Proper regulation of the private rental market

Overhaul of the benefits system

Improving public transport

Some people think back in the 1920s, when "we controlled half the world"

But 'we' didn't did we? A tiny minority of white, rich, men did.

Britain was never 'great'. No country has ever been 'great' because history is a big ole mess of injustice, racism, sexism, war, greed, cruelty and privilege. We could bring about greatness by the whole planet realising that humanity is deeply flawed and no-one has the monopoly on either goodness or badness, but we damn well need to learn to cooperate and stop fighting otherwise we're sunk.

We were only "great" and respected when we were invading and screwing over other countries.
Now we are laughed at because all we ever do is placate other countries.
Neither is particularly desirable.
We need a backbone and a bloody good education. Neither of which appear in the citizens of Britain.

Boris Johnson

I suspect Britain will always be the largest island in the archipelago.

Guineapigbridge

Limiting population growth and severely restricting immigration
Massive social investment in housing, health, universal education and early childhood education ..”

How will the country pay for your second requirement if you limit the number of young people entering the workforce and paying taxes?

Population decline/falling birth rate is a massive issue worldwide, with the exception of some African countries. There are simply not enough young, healthy working people to pay for increasingly elderly populations.

If the current situation has demonstrated anything at all, it is the vital contribution immigrants make to our country.

If we think life is tough right now, it is nothing compared to the double whammy we will be hit with when we leave the EU bang in the middle of virus season.

'I've seen a massive increase in yob culture over the last 10 years and this will continue. The govt have no control over them and their numbers are increasing.'

Doesn't EVERY generation look at the ones below them with distain??? 'yob culture'... anyone remember mods v rockers, or the skinheads or the football hooligans of the 80s???

I like living in the UK. I like the people, the humour, the culture, the history, the countryside, the freedom of speech and press, the shops. The weather is often shit and we are an overcrowded nation and that for me is the only negative.

I've lived in 4 other countries (1 EU, 3 outside EU) and whilst I enjoyed them, I was always happy to come home and when you've seen the hardships and disadvantages faced by people in other countries, it makes you appreciate life here.

I have never lived in NZ, Aus or Canada and I think those places might be nicer than here but not enough to make me consider emigrating (although am too old now).

People on MN like to say that UK is awful, they are lucky they have 2 passports etc. I always think: so leave if you really don't like it.