Britain’s political leaders need to fix the nation’s potholes if they want to pacify Reform UK voters. Nearly six out of 10 people who voted for Nigel Farage’s party in the summer election (57%) said more road maintenance to fix potholes should be given the “highest priority”. The research by Ipsos exposes the depth of frustration about the prevalence of potholes. It comes as the political establishment reels at Reform’s dramatic success in this month’s local elections, winning 677 council seats and two mayoralties, plus the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Fixing potholes was also the top demand of Conservative voters (43%) but not Labour voters. The top demand by people who backed Sir Keir Starmer’s party was making public transport more affordable. Linden Kemkaran, the leader of the Reform group on Kent Country Council – who is expected to be elected council leader later this month – described the depth of fury.
She said: “Reform voters feel every pothole because they’re the ones that have alarms in the morning and drive to and from work. The state of the roads affects them day in, day out.
“In Kent alone we have inherited over 57,000 potholes from the Conservatives, and I know it’s just as bad in Labour councils. Our first priority will be going through the council books line by line, cutting waste where we can and diverting money to core council duties like fixing our roads.”
A Government source said: “This Government inherited roads in a shocking state from the Conservatives. That’s why we have poured record investment into ending Britain’s pothole plague.
“Every local council will see an average 40% rise in the funding they receive this year to tackle this frustrating problem. For the first time ever, Labour is asking councils to prove they are working to fix our cratered roads.
“If they don’t, they’ll lose funding and it’ll be given to others who do. We will make every day journeys easier and restore pride of place to towns and cities across Britain.”
The research shows motor vehicles remain by far the most common way Britons get to work. More than half of people (55%)said the main way they travelled to work over the previous four weeks was in a car or van.
Just 22% used public transport. Only 14% walked or cycled or used an e-scooter.
Not everyone enjoys their journeys to the workplace, with 22% saying their commute is stressful. Just 36% described their commute as a part of the day where they could spend their time usefully.
There is little appetite for the state dictating how people can travel in order to protect the environment.
Although 43% said it was important them they travelled in an environmentally friendly way, 62% said people should be able to go to work whatever way they wanted, regardless of the impact on the environment.
When asked what should be made the top priorities to improve people’s journeys to work, the most popular action was “making public transport journeys more affordable” (39%). This was followed by “more road maintenance to fix potholes” (37%) and “more reliable journeys (29%). Just 7% wanted more cycle lanes built.
The research suggests that young people are among the hardest hit by transport costs. Nearly six out of 10 people aged 18-34 (58%) said the amount they spend on travel in an average month has increased. This compares with only 35% of people aged 55-75.