Rachel Reeves just let Britain down again – and | Tech News

Rachel Reeves could also be sitting considering her Downing Street future this week, nevertheless it should not be the one factor on the Chancellor’s thoughts. How to repair the UK’s roads must be on the prime of the in-tray for any potential successor ought to the subsequent Prime Minister make a change. Potholes should be fixed now.

Last week, I travelled by means of France and it actually introduced all of it home. Britain’s roads are ravaged past restore. Across the continent, I loved hours upon hours of blissful driving on virtually pristine roads, virtually resembling a billiards desk.

One day back in Britain and my back is being pummeled by craters that would not look out of place on the moon. How has all of it come to this? Labour is aware of the roads have fully had it. That’s why they keep doubling down on further money and guarantees.

Just final December, the Treasury confirmed a file £7.3 billion native roads increase. The new money was a doubling of annual street money, with the promise that thousands and thousands of potholes can be fixed.

And are they? It seems not. The RAC recorded round 225 pothole-associated breakdown studies per day in February 2026, more than 5 instances the each day average in 2025. Is it enough money? The UK’s pothole backlog stands at £18.62billion. So why wasn’t more money invested within the difficulty?

The Government has tried to be powerful, threatening to withhold some funding from councils that fail to repair the difficulty. But do councils stand a likelihood when the backlog is so high? Councils play their half, with more than 10 native authorities already handed a crimson ranking for failing to deal with the problems.

The backside line is the UK wants a higher long-term strategy. Simply filling holes with short-term fixes received’t resolve the difficulty, regardless of ripping by means of the funds. More preventative upkeep and long-term street resurfacing are needed now earlier than it’s too late.

What’s more, fixing potholes would have been an simple PR win for the Chancellor and outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Surely that is one of the pair’s largest open targets.

Not a lot in politics is seen to the bare eye. We aren’t all lucky enough to hearken to the negotiations on the G7, sit with Trump within the White House or be current across the cupboard desk. But we’re all wanting on the appalling tarmac ripping holes into our vehicles and backs.

Motorists can see them every single day and a designated marketing campaign to repair Britain’s roads would have probably handed Reeves and Starmer a much-needed political security web.