Respect foreign languages more. In major transport hubs translate the announcements and signs into French & Spanish. Teach kids a language from age of 5 to 14 for at least 4 hours a week. Opens more doors in careers like travel& tourism or working/studying abroad. Not doing this just feeds the English arrogance stereotype IMO
ok if you know Portuguese at moment, don't think many French or Spanish will be rocking up anytime soon
At the moment there is so much wrong with this country, I couldn't even start on landing on one thing. As a general theme though, I wish our ethos was more similar to our nearer neighbours off our Eastern shores, rather than of the further neighbours off our Western shores.
The acceptance of everything that is sub-standard. Whether it's poor behaviour - "It's only kids being kids" Poor Grammar - "Grammar Police" Poor Government - "Labour would be worse" It's just ingrained, and the result is poor service, a corrupt country, poor standards, poor manners, and people using terms like "snowflake" and "woke" as a catch all to excuse their own lack of empathy. So I'd have the inhabitants of this country raise their standards and say no to what's wrong.
The immediate disbanding of The Conservative Party, leading to the imprisonment of any Conservative MP - past or present.
Actually..... if i combine this with the wish question. I'd go back thousands of years, maybe even millions, and bolt the UK together and attach it to either France or Norway.
Could we start with the 13 "official" languages of the UK that don't have legal status? - English, Scot, Gaelic, Kernoweg, Braille, British Sign Language and the others. Welsh does actually have legal status and is the only language with that (in Wales)... And then extend the same courtesy to any non-native language that has a significant number of speakers - French, German, Spanish, Polish, Hindi, etc.
Slightly different tack but I find the complete disregard of any rules and the "Me society" that originated from the 80's is one of the reasons that questions like this crop up... Not always the big stuff but the little things like when I drove off this morning and couldn't see for the 2 cars left on the junction despite the signage and double yellows...or the car left on the zigzags at the school cos mummy's little angel can't be walking too far (but your child's safety dunt matter) and if ya politely say owt...2 fingers.abuse and threats will most likely be a response..sadly some seem to have no self respect and therefore no respect for others. manners ,politeness and an appreciation of others opinions are becoming a thing if the past as proven by social media. sadly "getting away with it" ie mask wearing, fare dodging etc are like a badge of honour...yep am getting old but I can't help thinking that it's the rules and regs that helped us create our society and once they have no place whats left...
Have you not seen how arrogant the French are about their language? A hell of a lot worse than us. I agree about a language being taught more but should be taught more in regards to business and not just 'where is the swimming baths'
Yes, we are very insular with regard to language. Although I recall signs at York station in French and German back in the 70s.
Flag waving little englander brexiteers, get rid of Johnny foreigners (but I like a nice curry or Chinese) brigade!!!!
I like having four seasons with defined weather patterns. I wouldn't want got and sunny all the time.
'Defined' is the bit I struggle with Helen. Last year, April/May was fantastic. This year, it was the pits! Nice enough now, but the trouble is you never know when the good and bad weather will come. But I do agree, it's good to have variation, and a noticeable difference in the seasons. And if nothing else, it gives us something to grumble about when the weather turns spiteful!
I'd change loads if I could, but having lived outside the UK for many years, I can honestly say that compared with most countries we still get a lot more right than we get wrong. If I was only allowed to change one thing it would be the electoral system. Binning the ridiculously unfair and archaic first past the post system in favour of an equitable proportional way of electing the government would be the single best thing that could happen to the UK in my opinion.