A political row over pothole repairs in Bexley has intensified after it was raised in parliament, with both local and national figures now involved in a heated exchange over the use of government funding.
The Bexley pothole row began when Labour MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, Daniel Francis, said he had personally visited every road in his constituency to identify potholes and report them to Conservative-controlled Bexley Borough Council.
Mr Francis said the aim was to ensure that the council was using its Department for Transport grant to repair road defects.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer referred to the issue directly, warning that Bexley’s £895,000 road repair fund could be withdrawn if it was not properly spent. He accused the council of failing to deliver on its responsibilities to local motorists.
In response, Bexley Council wrote to the prime minister urging him to check his facts, saying that Mr Francis had misinformed the Labour leader.
In the Commons, Mr Francis told MPs: “The Conservative council cabinet member responsible for roads wrote to our local newspaper, News Shopper, asking that I stop reporting potholes because it was causing work for the council. Will the prime minister join me in urging my Conservative council to get on and spend that money to make roads, such as Mayplace Road East, safe to drive on?”
Sir Keir responded sharply, saying: “So, this is a local Conservative council telling my honourable friend not to point out potholes in case it has to fill them. That is outrageous—just like the record of the last 14 years. We know how problematic, dangerous and costly potholes are to drivers.
“That is why we have delivered record investment to maintain our roads and fix potholes. That is £1.6bn. That money has been given to councils, but it comes with strings. My message to the council to reinforce that is clear: ‘Use the money, fix the roads and show how you are carrying out repairs, or lose the money’. It is councils that should get on with the job of fixing our roads. I will make sure the Roads Minister follows up with my honourable friend.”
After the exchange, Mr Francis spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live, claiming Bexley Council had spent only £40,000 of its £895,000 road repair budget in the first three months of the financial year.
Speaking to presenter Matt Chorley, he said: “We have reported over 100 potholes. The council believes some of them don’t meet the criteria [to be filled in]. I don’t agree with that. I have created a measuring tool which is 20cm wide and I have also been measuring the depth. Some of them that they say don’t meet the criteria, I disagree with and residents have been in touch with me to say they also disagree with.”
Councillor David Leaf, who is set to become Bexley’s new council leader next month, said he was “shocked and appalled” by the comments made by the prime minister in the Commons. He said: “I think that’s outrageous and disgraceful, and it’s appalling that the prime minister didn’t check his facts… whatever the reason, it’s unacceptable and we will very robustly defend our position and expect the prime minister to correct the record.”
Councillor Richard Diment, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, and the councillor referred to by Mr Francis in parliament, also expressed anger over the remarks, calling them “outrageous” and saying they risked Bexley’s government funding. “As we learned when he was a member of this council, Mr Francis is cavalier with the facts and deliberately misled the House of Commons yesterday,” he said.
According to Mr Diment, Mr Francis reported over 150 potholes in just over a week. The council inspected each one and found that only around a quarter met the criteria for action, and just nine met the criteria for immediate work. He also disputed the MP’s claim about spending, explaining that the £40,000 figure referred only to the amount invoiced and paid, not the total committed. He said that £260,000 had already been spent and that the council had “every intention” of using the full £895,000 fund by the end of the year.
The Bexley pothole row has now become a political flashpoint between Labour and Conservative representatives, reflecting wider tensions over how local authorities use transport grants. While the council insists it is meeting its obligations and following national repair standards, Mr Francis maintains that residents are being let down by slow progress. Both sides appear determined to defend their positions, with calls for the prime minister and the Department for Transport to clarify the facts.
As the dispute continues, the focus remains on how the council will demonstrate that public money is being effectively used to improve road safety. For drivers in Bexley, the outcome of the Bexley pothole row will determine whether the borough’s roads see quicker repairs or further scrutiny from Westminster.
