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?

I remember learning things in English and History that are just not necessary now I am an adult

If we only learned what was "necessary", we'd be impoverished in cultural terms. Where would the next generation artists, playwrights, authors and film-makers come from?

For me, "great" would mean a great place to live, and that would be a mature, community-minded country. I have an impression that Scandinavian countries, Canada, New Zealand, are doing pretty well at this. I may be over-simplifying but it feels like if you make decisions on the basis of the greatest good for the greatest number, rather than self-interest, you're on the right track.

I'm out of touch but we used to issue work permits on the basis of s shortage occupations list. What if we expanded that concept and had whichever committee maintained that list looking at what jobs we were likely to need in the coming decade, and then funded study for those careers and trades? So you could study anything you like at university, but it's state-funded if it is for the common good, and you pay your own way if it's just for you. It would include all the things we need to function as a society, including doctors, vets, plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, the list could be long and varied.

@EnglishGirlApproximately

The problem is that people define greatness differently. The 'Great' Britain that people are hankering after was built on colonialism and a sense of superiority and I wouldn't welcome that back.

To me a great country would be one which is fair, welcoming and equal. Where hard work is rewarded but wealth distribution means no one goes without. I'd be far more comfortable in a society which doesn't value the acquisition of wealth and consumer goods above education and experiences. I'd like a sensible housing market and no ability to profit from life essentials - shelter, warmth and water.

A country where politics is less tribal and where people are taught to think critically would be a start. We celebrate going to the 'school of hard knockz' and the 'University of life' rather than valuing experts and science.

Reading that back makes me sound like a socialist and I'm far from it. I'd just like things to be fairer for all. I'm very aware that the majority of people who hark on about making Britain great again would disagree with most if what I've written as they tend to be people who think success = wealth.

This sums up exactly how I feel. I'm also far from a socialist.

I don't really think this is a socialism vs capitalism thing, its the difference between different types of outlook. There are a lot of people (some of them on here) who take as read that the UK is innately "superior" and people who don't sing from that hymnsheet are "doing the country down" or being negative or pessimistic.

And then there are people (like me) who don't particularly have skin in the game of whether the UK is greatest or not. I don't really care whether we are seen as "great" and I don't want to waste lots of political capital on trying to restore a historical greatness which arguably didn't really exist anyway.

I think we are much better off focusing on an efficiently run meritocracy where people feel that they are masters of their own destiny and that there are opportunities open to them, but where they also feel protected from some of the worst examples of market failure. And where competence is the hallmark of government.

If we can get these things to work for us a reputation for greatnes which is earned may well come. It sure as hell won't come by banging on about taking back our borders and channelling Winston Churchill.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

And yet so many people want to live here, why is that if it so very shit?

Imo khan needs to sort out gang culture and knife crime in London. Our once great capital city is a cesspit.

Welfare system is why. It's changed from being a leg up in hard times to a lifestyle. Wages should be living standard so people don't need welfare (other than those who are unable to work).

If you had the choice of
Syria - wrecked by British made weapons
Afghanistan - wrecked by British made weapons
Yemen - wrecked by British made weapons
Iraq - wrecked by British made weapons
DRC - wrecked by British made weapons
would you not want to move to Leicester ?

The UK is better than many other countries
that does not make it Great

I had no idea the UK had the monopoly on global weapon production. Has anyone told Russia, China or America this?

@GetOffYourHighHorse

I had no idea the UK had the monopoly on global weapon production. Has anyone told Russia, China or America this?

This is such a pointless position. The 'monopoly' is neither here nor there. This 'everyone is equally shit' line isn't inspiring.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

I had no idea the UK had the monopoly on global weapon production. Has anyone told Russia, China or America this?

We're supposed to be the good guys. We have an unenviable track record of propping up, supporting and arming hideous regimes.

Accept and embrace Brexit. Make it work and stop being so negative all the time. Stop criticising everything and everybody. Acknowledge when something has been done well rather than just complaining when it hasn't. Work together. Be kind. Be fair. Treat others with respect. Do not commit crimes. Take responsibility. Stop giving people reason to be suspicious or mistrusting of you. Behave well not badly.

The issue, for me, is that our global reputation and our global power has declined. For good reason. The question is what we do to fix this.

It doesn't need fixed. Britain has terrorised the world for 300 years, murdering millions, and it's good that its power has declined. Hopefully it will continue to decline.

Its reputation has declined because other countries have become aware that we are a nation run by spivs and chancers, with crumbling infrastructure, low skills, low wages, poor education, and a large proportion of us are thick as mince.

Accept and embrace Brexit. Make it work and stop being so negative all the time.
Please explain what we need to do to make Brexit "work"

People need to stop voting based on the front pages of newspapers, slogans or public images of 'celebrity' politicians and start understanding the policies they're voting for

stop being so negative all the time. Stop criticising everything and everybody.
There’s negative statements right there.

Welfare system is why.
It's changed from being a leg up in hard times to a lifestyle. Wages should be living standard so people don't need welfare (other than those who are unable to work)
When you have an idea of how the welfare system works, do comment, otherwise you make yourself look a bit silly.

For instance my thoughts are that workplaces need better maternity policies which work for women and their work/life balance

Do you have any idea how hard my generation fought for what you’ve got now? Fifty years ago there was no maternity leave, no maternity pay, no flexible hours, very little childcare. We never even thought to ask for paternity leave. What more do you want? You already have far, far more than previous generations dared dream of.

Make having a trade or skill equally or more valid than a degree.

Make people pay back student loans regardless of income to stop people taking the money and never paying it back. In turn, less go to uni to degrees will become less mainstream again.

Welfare state returning to being solely for those to ill to work or short term after a job loss, we shouldn’t be financing choices people can’t afford but want.

Manufacturing more here and less imports.

Reward hard work, nothing should be free or just handed out. Lack of work ethic has effects on future generations.

KaptainKaveman

IME 'make it great again' usually means 'make it white again'.*
The colonial times basically.

That's what Trump means anyway.

Never understood what he meant when saying to Make America Great Again. When was that time, interesting?

@Gilead

Welfare system is why. It's changed from being a leg up in hard times to a lifestyle. Wages should be living standard so people don't need welfare (other than those who are unable to work) When you have an idea of how the welfare system works, do comment, otherwise you make yourself look a bit silly.

I second this, anyone who thinks the UK's welfare system is a lifestyle gets a

I really don't get the view that because a previous generation had to fight for something then people today shouldn't ask for more. Surely every generation should strive to improve society and make it better for future generations?

@thepeopleversuswork totally agree about government competence. I want my politicians to be substantially cleverer than I am as they're in charge of the country! If you dare to criticise or question this government their supporters are quick to shout 'could you do better?'. The answer is probably not, which is why I haven't gone into politics and spent my life trying to be PM. We have such low expectations as a nation that we don't even demand intelligence and competence from the government.

I had no idea the UK had the monopoly on global weapon production. Has anyone told Russia, China or America this?

"Well, everyone else was kicking him and jumping on his head," is not a defence.

Welfare system is why.
It's changed from being a leg up in hard times to a lifestyle. Wages should be living standard so people don't need welfare (other than those who are unable to work)

Just what kind of lifestyle do you think people on benefits are enjoying?

Hell will freeze over before I embrace the act of willful self destruction that is Brexit.

I am put off anyone who uses the slogan “make great again” 🙄

Investment in education. We do not have huge amounts of natural resources, we’re small. But if we had a world class education system, our innovators (scientific, business, creative) would bring wealth to our country, and wealth allows other social good to be possible.

We should never be 'great' again. We can't be trusted.

I’m baffled by calls about manufacturing. Manufacturing what? Much of our manufacturing closed down because it was uneconomic, or the things that were manufactured we no longer want. There’s a place for smaller-scale and niche manufacturing, but the industries that provided jobs for the many are gone.