Pothole politics

Potholes are a case in point. They may not generate as much emotion as NHS or education funding, but they are a menace to road users – even more so following last winter's freezing conditions – and they will continue to pose a danger if local councils do not have the financial means to carry out the necessary repairs.

Of course, it was difficult to foresee the harshness of the prolonged cold snap and the resulting damage. That is accepted. But it must also be pointed out that many roads across Yorkshire were in poor state of disrepair before the big freeze struck.

There is a simple explanation for this: road maintenance budgets were scaled back significantly as councils looked to find "creative" means to finance those extra services, and responsibilities, that were foisted upon them by New Labour.

Yet, while few people complained at the time, this short-termist approach has created long-term consequences; namely a huge backlog of repairs that, in North Yorkshire County Council's case, equates to 25m.

The question for Ministers, who were very critical about how their Labour predecessors handled the weather crisis, is how they expect local authorities to carry out vital maintenance when their budgets are being contracted as a result of the spending squeeze. For, unless action is taken, road surfaces will deteriorate even further – and motorists, who already pay an extortionate amount for the privilege of driving on poorly maintained roads, will face even greater bills for unnecessary damage to their vehicles.