Yes, but…

The government has announced a pothole fund. Local authorities must prove they are filling enough holes to get their share. Hurrah says me the motorist! But wait a second: if the local authority had the choice, would they spend all that money on potholes? Maybe they have even more pressing problems, such as children with acute needs. Ringfencing the pothole fund, or indeed any fund, says “We at the centre know better than you who merely live there what you need.” If you believe that you may as well give up the sham of local democracy and relabel councils as local outlets of government departments.