Political opinion: Aylesbury MP welcomes funding boost for roads and potholes
Laura Kyrke-Smith MP, Member of Parliament for Aylesbury and the Villages, has today welcomed the Labour Government’s record funding boost for road maintenance, including up to £104.4 million for Buckinghamshire.
Councils across England will be able to fix potholes and prevent new ones thanks to a doubling of roads investment by the end of the Parliament, announced as part of the Budget.
Each local authority will be able to use its share of the £7.3 billion to identify the roads most in need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents.
The Government is also increasing pressure on local authorities by more than tripling the portion of local roads funding tied to transparency—from 8% to over 30%, worth more than £500 million. Councils will only unlock this funding if they publish clear pothole and maintenance data and follow best practice.
Laura Kyrke-Smith MP said: “At the election, Labour promised to fix an extra million potholes a year by the end of the Parliament. This announcement shows that we are putting our money where our mouth is. It’s double the funding that was promised by the previous Conservative government.
“Labour is making a real difference to people’s lives. Along with the freeze on rail fares and prescription charges, and £150 off average energy bills from the measures in the Budget, it’s clear that we are on the side of working people.”
The announcement follows last week’s Budget, which included a range of measures to address the cost of living—such as freezing regulated rail fares for 12 months, keeping prescription charges frozen at £9.90, and bringing forward measures to reduce energy bills.
The Chancellor said she was determined to defy expectations and break Britain out of its cycle of decline through stability, investment, and reform.