to wonder if there is anything that could be changed in our society that most people would agree is reasonable

[chomalungma]

Without angry headlines in the Daily Mail, columns and tweets by Piers Morgan and Laurence Fox, comments by Boris Johnson, no angry arguments on Twitter, on social media, on morning TV programmes etc

Just something that unites most people as a good thing, something that is wrong and needs changing.

Because it's just division at the moment. Division, tribes, culture wars etc.

Can anyone think of anything?

@splodgetastic I'd rather teachers were well rounded people who valued life skills and nurtured them. MIL was a teacher for 40years and turned her nose up at sewing, cooking, cleaning and didn't pass them 9nto her DC. It is an issue and a root and branch failing in education but thwy are all skills teachers shoukd be able to do as easily as falling of a log and be prepared to see their value and impart their value.

@Hopeisnotastrategy

A hook on the back of every public toilet door.

Got my vote

The house buying and selling process in England is unnecessarily stressful.

The hook one made me laugh because every time I think how hard is it to put up a bloody hook.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Replacing the requirement for GCSE Maths/English with a basic numeracy and literacy tests that can be taken at any age. Means that those who genuinely struggle with these things can focus on the 'life skills' numeracy/literacy instead of getting bogged down in the unnecessary stuff- and the pupils who find it easier can have more of a challenge.

Fully agree. Kids who struggle with these basics are set up to fail in the education system and life in general. Working towards basic numeracy & literacy tests aimed at life skills would be far more useful and worthwhile than trying to get the C grade (or whatever it is now) in GCSEs incorporating aspects that most people will never ever need in real life. I'd say they should use something like the 11+ exams which are a far better test of the basics than aiming for a low-mid grade at GCSE.

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

Better funding for education and a greater emphasis on technical and vocational education for those who are not traditionally academic.

Everyone says that but Blair/Brown set up such schools but they weren't popular and many have since closed. Perhaps parents think it's other peoples' children who should go there, not their own!

Being able to make a non-emergency appointment with the GP.

This. Actually, at the moment, being able to be seen face-to-face by a GP. I have had the same health problem for 7 weeks and I can't get anyone to see me. I went to A&E in the end in pain and spent most of a day there. By the time I was seen the pain had mostly gone. Some of my bloods were off but they couldn't do a scan. The GP has now referred me. In the end I paid £130 for a private scan to discover that I do indeed have a bunch of gallstones. But nothing appears to be doable for months on the NHS.

Love the hooks idea : more toilets with hooks all round.
Changing how you buy property would be great too as it is long and expensive and the amount of money people lose is just so unfair! How to change it though? I've no idea about that!

Highly subsidised childcare and family friendly working hours; more flexibility in working hours.
Rules about buying property in this country just as investments if you don’t live here or intend to live in them. Ditto properties in seaside areas- rules about holiday properties.
More investment in child mental health, with MH professionals working in schools full time and ‘safeguarding’ not making everything so confidential it’s ultimately covered up.

Or just ban all people with disabilities from accessing services?

Well some people seem to want the vulnerable locked up due to covid so they can go around ignoring social distancing and living a normal life, partying, etc., don't they, as per other threads!

Smaller schools, smaller GP practices, more working from home and better local facilities.

I’d like as many people as possible to be given the experience of living with disability because empathy requires a level of imagination that many appear to lack

MPs really don't represent the public, who, I believe, largely want euthanasia and the right to die.
I don't. Way, way too open to abuse, and an excuse not to fund hospice care and mental health services.

Reintroduce different sorts of schools that will nurture different sorts of children and allow schools to permanently exclude.
Allow them to permanently exclude? Is this a typo?
They already can, with little to no accountability.

All schools should be nurturing and all schools should bring out the best in all children's abilities. You shouldn't have to choose.

@TheBusDriver

This maybe controversial but children with SEN should be taught in separate schools so there is no disruption in classes for other pupils.

Then these schools should be properly funded to allow that child to meet their expected target.

If it ‘might be controversial’ then you’ve not quite understood, have you? Ooh, there’s an idea for a better one: eejits that can’t read should have a separate internet, so they don’t disrupt the grown-ups forums.

Truly blind CVs.

Proportional representation in government.

I don't think people would agree on euthanasia (they already don't), but for it to become normal to plan to decline treatment in certain circumstances, and for doctors to adhere to it. E.g acceptance of wishes in Advanced Directives.

An end to extreme wealth, made off the backs of shit wages and tax dodging.

Ooh, there’s an idea for a better one: eejits that can’t read should have a separate internet, so they don’t disrupt the grown-ups forums
Yes Please!

Hooks is an interesting one.

Child poverty - well you only have to look at recent exchanges in Patliament to see that people disagree on the definition of it.

Litter - then you get people complaining about the enforcement and over zealousness

I like the idea of looking at GCSE Maths and English - no doubt some people would have an issue but I think most people would agree it makes sense.

Even the Daily Mail and the Guardian might agree.

I heard this idea on the 'Reasons to be Cheerful' podcast and loved it.

Instead of kick-starting the economy be investing in infrastructure we could invest in Caring infrastructure.

So instead of lots of hard hats and buildings it would be investing in childcare and care for the elderly and disabled. More jobs, better training, resources and wages. The return on investment could be huge as it creates lots of jobs, and frees up people who are caring for loved ones to participate in the workforce more.(These people are so often women, who have been hit hardest in the last recession and in the current pandemic.) Estimates say it'll give a far better return on investment than traditional infrastructure building.

Apparently in the UK we have chronically underspent in the caring sector compared to equivalent European countries, so it would be easy to counter arguments of extravagance.

Plus caring for people is so obviously the right thing to do.

I don't think there is a single thing that we could collectively agree on, sadly. I'd like to see prisoners or criminals on suspended sentences paying back to society by doing roadside litter clean ups but there will be some reason why that can't happen - probably health and safety or human rights or something.

I don't think men would be behind the hooks idea, since it doesn't benefit them. They'd argue the funds would be better spent elsewhere.

I don't think there is anything that most people would agree with that isn't being done already.

"Ending hunger" and "more money for the NHS" are all well and good, but people won't agree to tax rises to pay for them. Even things like reintroducing the death penalty or sinking the boats of migrants trying to cross the Channel illegally would draw an outcry from some.

The closest we could come to a consensus would be to scrap the BBC licence fee I think.

Good renting history should be accepted as proof that people can afford a mortgage without having to provide a deposit.

Brilliant idea! Neither DH or I have ever had a late rent payment since we were 19. Can we get a mortgage on anything bigger than a beach hut? Nope.

And the hooks on the backs of doors.

Even things like reintroducing the death penalty or sinking the boats of migrants trying to cross the Channel illegally would draw an outcry from some.
You’re right, killing people might not be universally embraced as a good thing.

I want a health care service like some of the Scandinavian countries

And I want increased taxes to pay for it

I also want a Universal Basic Income - at least for a while. I've always thought benefits are shocking for people without children but now with a predicted 4-5 million out of work - an enormous amount of people in the Arts/hospitality/airline industries who obviously can't help it - it's crucial

A few people haven’t read and understood the OP and are posting quite obviously controversial/nasty suggestions

I really can’t think of many things. I think the previous suggestion of harsher penalties for littering/fly tipping would have a lot of public support from most sections of society. You’d think harsher punishments for perpetrating child sexual abuse or viewing images of it would be one, but sadly I actually don’t think it would.