Reform UK has come under fire for its record on road maintenance, with new government analysis showing councils led by the party are proportionally the least effective at fixing potholes.
Government's New Traffic Light System Exposes Road Repair Failings
The criticism follows the launch of a new government traffic light system for tackling potholes. The Department for Transport's mapping tool has rated 154 local highway authorities as red, amber, or green. This rating is based on the condition of their roads and how effectively they are spending government road maintenance funding.
The data, collected between March and June 2025, reveals that a significant portion of councils are struggling. Notably, a quarter of all local highway authorities led by Reform UK have been given an overall 'Red' rating, the worst possible grade.
Which Councils Are in the Red and Green?
Out of the 12 councils led by Reform, three have received the damning red rating: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and West Northamptonshire. The analysis also found nearly one in five Conservative-led councils were rated red.
Other authorities classified as red include Cumberland in Cumbria, Bolton in Greater Manchester, Suffolk, and Kensington and Chelsea in west London. The DfT stated that red-rated authorities will get dedicated support through a £300,000 programme to bring them up to standard.
On the positive side, councils that received a green rating for their effective work include Essex, Wiltshire, Coventry in the West Midlands, Leeds in West Yorkshire, and Darlington in County Durham.
Political Reactions and Funding Pledges
Labour Party Chair Anna Turley MP seized on the findings, 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 by fixing potholes and repairing roads, Reform Councils are falling well short." She highlighted Labour's pledge for the biggest-ever investment to end England's pothole plague.
In response, a Reform UK spokesman defended their record, arguing the report exposed the failures of previous Conservative and Labour administrations. The spokesman 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.
The political row unfolds against the backdrop of a major funding commitment. In the November budget, the government pledged a total of £7.3 billion for local road maintenance funding for the four years up to and including 2029/30.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "For too long drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate... We've put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads." She argued this record investment would save drivers money on repairs and make roads safer.
