Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has taken an unorthodox route to draw attention to Britain’s pothole crisis—by careering down a steep tubing slope in a rubber ring during a local election visit to Gloucestershire.
Joined by party MPs, councillors and local candidates at the Gloucester Ski Centre, Sir Ed’s downhill ride was more than just a political stunt. With a smile and a serious message, he used the slope as a metaphor for Britain’s battered road network—calling on voters to back the Liberal Democrats for smoother journeys ahead.
“We’re having a bit of fun, we’re campaigning, but there is a serious message—always a serious message—and that is about services that are smooth, that people can go over,” he said. “The parallel analogy is with our roads. Around the county, the roads are a real mess. A lot of potholes. And the Conservatives, who’ve been running Gloucestershire for a long time, have failed to fix them.”
Sir Ed’s comments come as the Lib Dems unveiled fresh data suggesting that road conditions in the South West have worsened significantly, with years of cuts to council budgets blamed for the decay.
According to the party’s analysis of Government figures, nearly one in four (24%) of A-roads and motorways in the region have been given an “Amber” rating in 2024, meaning they are showing signs of deterioration and are likely to require maintenance. The outlook is even grimmer for B and C-roads, where 31% were found to be Amber and 7% categorised as “Red”—signifying severe degradation in need of repair within the year.
In Gloucestershire specifically, 13% of A-roads and motorways and 25% of B and C-roads were condemned as Amber. The figures reflect a broader regional trend that Sir Ed said stemmed from “years of neglect and mismanagement” under Conservative rule.
“The Conservative Party has let motorists down badly,” he said. “They’ve allowed our roads to crumble, all while slashing council budgets to the point where it’s nearly impossible to fund proper road maintenance.”
Positioning the Liberal Democrats as the party of practical community action, Sir Ed said the local elections on 1 May offered a “great chance” for his party to wrest control of Gloucestershire County Council from the Tories.
“We’re not going to take anything for granted,” he added. “We’re working right to the close of polls. We’ve got great candidates, we’re putting out leaflets, knocking on doors. I hope people will vote for a local champion and get a Liberal Democrat representing them.”
In a pointed rebuttal to Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch’s recent jibe that Lib Dems were “the people who get your church roof fixed,” Sir Ed said the party would proudly wear that label. “We do get things done. We are of the community,” he said. “If people elect us across Gloucestershire, we can take control of the council and deliver results.”
However, the Conservatives were quick to return fire. Shadow Transport Secretary Gareth Bacon accused the Liberal Democrats of hypocrisy and mismanagement in councils they already control.
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“The Liberal Democrats say they want smoother roads, but they’re jacking up council tax, slashing services and wasting millions on gimmicks like four-day working weeks,” said Mr Bacon.
“It’s no coincidence that local roads are deteriorating under Lib Dem councils. At the same time, they’re refusing to hold Labour to account for a £1.2 billion raid on local government that could’ve fixed 14 million potholes.”
He added, “If Ed Davey wants to pretend he’s leading a serious party, he might want to get off the inflatable and start standing up to Labour’s growth-killing agenda.”
As both parties prepare for a fiercely contested set of local elections, it seems the state of Britain’s roads—long a source of grumbling from drivers—could now play a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape. Whether Sir Ed’s slippery descent will help the Lib Dems climb the electoral hill remains to be seen.
