How tiring it is to hear this phrase on a weekly basis. Most typically, it's used by politicians, but whoever uses it, there's an unease on my part. Why? Quite simple, really; there's an unfairness, because no one seems to appreciate any 'side-to-side' factor. The lateral element has been massively overlooked by so many public speakers, who continually use the standard "up and down the country" without realising the other options available.
From North to South in the UK, it is 683 miles, but it's obviously not "the country" when referring to the UK. Technically, Scotland and England are separate, so the new figure for England (the largest distance involved) is 402 miles. Yes, up and down the country would in effect mean 402 miles up, and 402 miles down. Now let us consider the lateral movement. The widest point is supposedly 302 miles; however, from Landsend to Ness Point in Suffolk (NR33 0NP) it's 450 miles via motorways, but even direct, it's over 400 miles. So, we are in fact arriving at the following conclusion:
Up and down the country (England) is circa 400 miles if one adopts a "Scottish border south to the Channel" approach, and it's a similar distance if one adopts a "Cornwall across to Suffolk" approach! So henceforth, people ought to say both "up and down the country" AND "from side to side of the country".
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