Recently, I wrote about the LibDem’s frankly odd response to the snow when they cut £20k from the Winter Highways Maintenance Budget, whilst looking out of the window at people sliding around on the ice outside the Civic Offices.

At their Cabinet meeting a few days later, the Lead Councillor scoffed at the Evening Standard and others who had commented on this blinkered approach.

It took a question by Councillor Cliff Carter to finally shame the LibDems into realising that Sutton’s roads had more holes than a slice of Emmenthal. We’ve already got the raised obstructions in speed bumps, the potholes that have formed after the frozen conditions are a result of nature’s way of evening things up a bit. The LibDems were forced into an emergency change in their budget, taking £250k from their contingency fund to fill some of the holes.

Interestingly they have spent all of their contingency in this current year. They haven’t identified any more cash, so watch this space to see if they can last the coming year without scratching around raiding another pot of cash. Either way, it was good work by Cliff to get across the clear message that residents have been saying for the last few weeks.