the ministry of detail // fixing the small stuff

quibble is a campaign to fix overlooked public interest and consumer issues

Quibbles are low-grade nuisances that impact lots of people but rarely get fixed because they are seen as too minor. From the cookie banner on every webpage; redundant and excessive signage in public places; the light timings on pedestrian crossings; the frequency and quality of announcements on trains... there are a wide range of issues that we all just put up with in life, but fixing them would make a big difference.

We believe these issues aren't inevitable - they're just neglected. If you’ve ever had a splinter, you know small things can have a big impact. That’s what quibble is committed to tackling. By bringing systematic research and policy expertise to these overlooked details, we aim to find practical fixes while encouraging decision-makers across government to be far more attentive to the details.

Have a quibble? We’d love to hear from you. No issue is too petty, but we keep two broad criteria in mind:

  • Impact: It affects thousands of people, or a smaller group very frequently (e.g. hundreds of people, daily or weekly).

  • Who can fix it: We mainly focus on issues where the solution sits with a public body (e.g. national government, regulator, or local authority), although we do occasionally look at private sector issues where regulation or collective advocacy is needed.

If you’re unsure, send it anyway - we can filter the rest!

We’re constantly looking into new policy details and sharing our work as we go. You can follow our latest videos, discussions, and campaign updates on our socials (linked in the header and footer).

The quibbles

  • The cookie banner

    Millions of us deal with it multiple times per day. This is not about whether our personal data should be protected, but how it is done. Is there a better way?

  • Train announcements

    Too many announcements can quickly become repetitive and annoying. We’re asking whether there’s a better balance, by looking at their frequency and type.

  • Parking apps

    Most of us have been there, trying to download yet another app at the last minute. At least in council car parks, why can’t there just be one?

  • Phone boxes

    While some phone boxes today still serve a purpose - from emergency connectivity, to the aesthetic (in the case of the old red kiosks) - we are taking a critical look at their numbers and condition.

  • Out of date signs

    Unnecessary COVID-era signs still up in public buildings, expired road signs, planning application notices left on lamp posts for years. Why can’t we get rid of them?

  • Keying error fines

    Did you know that accidentally typing a “0” instead of an “O” can land you with a hefty fine in some car parks? Being an obvious mistake, and the ticket having been purchased, we believe this is unfair.

  • 'Puffin' pedestrian crossings

    When the green man at waist height on your side of the road, your view of it can be easily blocked and you can’t see the signal whilst crossing. Can something be done to make it clearer and safer?

  • Childcare scheme misnomer

    Of the estimated 1.3 million families eligible for UK’s “Tax-Free Childcare” scheme, over half are not benefitting. Given that the scheme has nothing to do with tax, could a simple renaming help uptake?

  • Your quibble!

    We are really keen to hear your suggestions of quibbles to work on. Please message us with them via the form above - none will be too petty to consider!

The quibblers

Jonathan de Leyser. I have spent 13 years working in politics and public affairs, mostly in London and Brussels. It has been my job to understand how decisions get made, and how to influence them. I have seen the power of advocacy and campaigns to change things. I have also seen how some issues get overlooked, because their cumulative impact is not appreciated. This makes them difficult to organise around, and I have co-founded quibble to take up that challenge.

Abigail Bradshaw. I have spent most of my working life as a civil servant in Whitehall, with a focus on public policy design and implementation. It has been my job to ensure that policies are made well and working effectively, paying careful attention to the user’s experience of what the government does and how it impacts people. What the state does, including the small things, it should do excellently. I have co-founded quibble to help it in this direction - this time from the outside!

Our approach

“Small-picture”

quibble is non-partisan - where issues touch on wider political or ideological discussions, we stay focused on the immediate solution. We will not be focusing on “systemic change” per se - plenty of others are already doing the big picture stuff, and anyway this can often be exactly why the smaller issues get neglected - let’s call it “small-picture thinking”.

Perspective

By their nature quibbles aren’t necessarily that important. Our campaigns are self-aware, and sometimes semi-ironic. And given the challenges specific to quibbling, a light-hearted approach is sometimes needed. Computer-says-no decision-makers can be frustrating, but we focus on tackling decisions rather than individuals.

Persistence

Advocacy often demands persistence - “The Art of Not Letting Things Go”. We escalate when necessary, but to move in good faith, in many cases we prefer to first try formal and technical-level channels, which often involves repeatedly “knocking on the door” until we get answers. Change can sometimes take time… keep plodding on!

We explain our approach at greater length on our social media channels (linked in the header and footer), so please do check those out too.

Support quibble

Our work is supported by crowdfunding, charitable grants*, and occasional writing fees. We are hugely grateful for any donations, all of which are reinvested to allow us to keep doing this work.

*2026: £5,000 grant awarded by Changing Ideas (charity number: 1117008) - unrestricted

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If you would like to set up a regular donation, please email abigail@quibble.org.uk.