Reform UK has come under fire for its record on road repairs, with new government data revealing that councils led by the party are proportionally the least effective at fixing potholes.
New 'Traffic Light' System Exposes Road Repair Failings
The criticism follows the launch of a new Department for Transport (DfT) mapping tool, which rates the performance of 154 local highway authorities across England. The system uses a traffic light grading of red, amber, or green, based on road conditions and how efficiently councils are spending government road maintenance funding.
The analysis shows that a significant quarter of all Local Highway Authorities led by Reform UK have been given an overall 'Red' rating – the worst possible score. This places them at the bottom of the league table for pothole repair performance.
Which Councils Are in the Red and Green?
Out of the 12 councils led by Reform, three have been marked red: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and West Northamptonshire. The data, collected between March and June 2025, also highlights issues in Conservative-run areas, with nearly one in five Tory councils receiving a red rating.
Other authorities classified as red include Cumberland in Cumbria, Bolton in Greater Manchester, Suffolk, and Kensington and Chelsea in west London. In contrast, councils praised with a green rating include Essex, Wiltshire, Coventry in the West Midlands, Leeds in West Yorkshire, and Darlington in County Durham.
Political Reactions and Funding Pledges
Anna Turley MP, Chair of the Labour Party, seized on the figures, stating: "This shows that Reform Councils are the worst at fixing potholes. Reform often give easy answers to problems but when it comes to delivering for drivers... Reform Councils are falling well short." She reiterated Labour's pledge for the biggest-ever investment to tackle England's pothole problem, promising to fix a million more potholes annually.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander emphasised the government's financial commitment, saying: "We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads." This funding is allocated for the four years up to and including 2029/30. Red-rated authorities will receive dedicated support through a £300,000 programme to improve their practices.
A Reform UK spokesman defended their record, arguing the report exposed the failures of previous Conservative and Labour administrations. They claimed that in Derbyshire, which they "inherited as the pothole capital of England," the Reform administration cleared the entire pothole backlog left by the Tories within six months, starting to reverse "decades of managed decline."
