Labour’s One-Million Pothole Pledge Faces Early Challenges

Labour’s promise to repair an additional one million potholes annually across England appears under strain, as early figures indicate councils may struggle to meet the 2025/26 target.

An investigation by Full Fact, based on transparency reports from 154 local highway authorities, highlights a gap between current repair levels and the manifesto commitment. In 2024/25,

around 1.85 million potholes were fixed, meaning meeting the new pledge would require a 54% increase to 2.85 million. Early projections from 85 councils suggest repairs are likely to remain broadly flat.

The analysis also shows pothole maintenance was already slowing: among 146 councils reporting year-on-year data, repairs fell 3.5% in 2024/25. Short-term limitations, including budgets set by the previous government and inconsistent reporting methods, further complicate tracking progress.

The Department for Transport recently introduced a green-amber-red performance rating for councils, but it does not aggregate pothole repair data, leaving transparency gaps.

Experts note that achieving the pledge will require more funding, consistent reporting, modernised asset management, and long-term strategies to overcome legacy backlogs and resource constraints.

Early indicators suggest delivering on this flagship pledge will demand coordinated action across the highways sector.