Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a meme circulated on Facebook suggesting the same thing could never happen here because the potholes would prove too much of an impediment. Given the current state of the roads, I think we can safely say any invasion plans must surely now have been shelved. And thank goodness. Owing to the paucity of our armed forces, potholes would be our first line of defence. The sides of motorways would be littered with abandoned enemy vehicles if anyone were rash enough to mount a ground assault. Dazed POWs would be wondering why they’d been ordered to take over a country with a crumbling infrastructure.  

Emily Thornberry said the quiet part out loud on immigration

Harry Potter is for infantilised millennials

The absurdity at the heart of the junior doctors’ strikes

Maybe it’s a cunning government ploy: instead of spending on the military, deter any land grabs by making our roads impassable. A recent BBC article suggested that £18 billion is needed to bring local roads in England and Wales up to an ideal condition. And that’s before you get to motorways and other major highways. It’s no wonder that driving these days often means zigzagging to your destination to avoid losing a wheel.  

The story highlighted research by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) suggesting that roads were resurfaced, on average, only once every........

© The Spectator