Potholes, Tax and Services Shape Barnet Local Elections 2026

Key points

• Potholes, council tax and access to services are the main issues being raised by voters in Barnet ahead of the local elections.
• Conservative councillor David Longstaff, standing in Barnet, says residents are frustrated over roads, tax bills and the speed of council responses.
• Labour council leader Barry Rawlings told BBC London that the authority has already filled in over 16,500 potholes left by the previous Conservative administration.
• Despite this work, many residents say potholes remain a visible and persistent problem across the borough’s roads.
• Barnet became majority‑Labour for the first time in its history at the 2022 council elections, a result that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer chose to celebrate there.
• This time, Prime Minister Sir Keir has not appeared on the campaign trail in Barnet, reflecting a shift in national Labour focus.
• The Conservatives’ 2022 borough leader Dan Thomas has since left the party and now leads Reform UK in Wales, leaving those who stayed to campaign on more local, everyday concerns.
• Longstaff argues that residents also want council services to respond promptly when problems such as people sleeping rough in tents are reported, for instance along Barnet Hill.

Barnet (North London News) April 27, 2026 – Potholes, council tax and access to services are now the dominant themes of the local election campaign in Barnet, as both Conservative and Labour candidates point to them as the top priorities for voters across the borough. According to Conservative councillor David Longstaff, who is standing again in the forthcoming elections, “Potholes… it is council tax, potholes and access to services” that residents bring up most often on the doorstep.

Why are potholes such a focal point in Barnet?

As reported by BBC London’s correspondent, David Longstaff said residents in Barnet expect the council to maintain roads so that hazards are dealt with quickly and safely.

He added that the pothole issue is not only about comfort for drivers but also about safety for cyclists and motorcyclists, stressing that “potholes are crucial” when it comes to how people experience the borough every day.

Labour council leader Barry Rawlings gave BBC London figures to show the scale of repair work already undertaken, stating that the authority has filled in over 16,500 potholes left by the previous Conservative administration.

However, he acknowledged that “there’s a lot of potholes left,” indicating that many roads are still far from being in the condition residents expect.

These comments echo criticism from local MPs; in a separate context, Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers told her own newsletter that the Government had allocated £368,000 in extra funding to Barnet specifically for road repairs, and urged the council to use it effectively.

She complained that potholes seemed to be “worse than ever” despite hikes in council tax and parking charges, arguing that services were not improving in line with the rises.

How has Labour’s record in Barnet shaped the campaign?

Barnet’s political landscape shifted at the 2022 council elections when Labour took control of the borough for the first time in its history, ousting the Conservatives and winning with a majority.

That result was significant enough for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, then opposition leader, to visit the borough to mark the victory.

By contrast, in the current campaign cycle, Prime Minister Sir Keir has not been seen on the Barnet trail, with local candidates instead relying on borough‑level messaging and door‑to‑door canvassing.

As BBC London’s coverage notes, this change reflects a broader national focus on other key marginals and the fact that Barnet is no longer part of a symbolic breakthrough moment for Labour.

Barry Rawlings, speaking to BBC London, framed the Labour record since 2022 as one of heavy investment and repair work, including the 16,500 potholes already filled and the ongoing pressure of maintaining roads across a large borough.

He suggested that while the improvements are genuine, the visible legacy of past under‑investment means that many residents still feel that potholes and road conditions are a daily concern.

What are residents saying about council tax and services?

David Longstaff told BBC London that, alongside potholes, residents are deeply engaged with the level of council tax and what they receive in return. He argued that voters want value for money and that the key question is whether the council is delivering services “when they need them.”

Longstaff cited rough sleeping as an example, telling the BBC that if a resident reports someone sleeping in a tent on the side of Barnet Hill, they expect the council to act “in a timely way.”

This touches on wider concerns about homelessness and the capacity of local services, including the Barnet Homes Rough Sleeper Team and partner organisations, which work to reduce rough sleeping through assessment hubs and move‑on accommodation.

On the tax side, Theresa Villiers has publicly questioned why potholes appear to be more visible in recent years even as Barnet has increased council tax and parking charges, including a 22 per cent rise in parking fees and a 40 per cent increase in garden waste collection charges. She argued that, in her view, this combination of higher charges and poor road conditions demonstrated that

“with Labour you pay more for worse services,”

a line that Conservative candidates in Barnet are now echoing on the doorstep.

How are the Conservatives framing their campaign in Barnet?

Under the 2022 local elections, the Conservatives in Barnet were led by Dan Thomas, who has since left the party and now leads Reform UK in Wales.

Those who have remained in the Conservative fold are focusing on everyday issues rather than the highly nationalised debates of recent years, according to BBC London’s reporting.

On Whetstone High Street and other parts of the borough, Longstaff and his colleagues are holding up potholes and council tax bills as evidence of what they call unmet expectations.

Longstaff told BBC London that residents are “very frustrated” when they see cracked surfaces and repeated road repairs, and that many feel the council is not responsive enough when problems are reported.

These arguments are being used both to defend Conservative candidates and to attack the Labour administration’s record on infrastructure and service delivery.

At the same time, Labour points to the number of potholes already filled and the challenges of maintaining a large borough on a tight financial settlement, saying that the issue is one of legacy and long‑term under‑funding rather than simple mismanagement.

Background of the development

Potholes have long been a recurring campaign issue in London boroughs, and Barnet is no exception. The borough has faced criticism from local MPs and residents over the condition of roads, with calls for more targeted repair funding and more transparent reporting of how that money is spent.

The 2022 election marked a structural change in Barnet politics, as Labour not only gained a majority but also set out plans to use additional central government grants—such as the road‑repairs allocation—to address infrastructure shortfalls.

However, the visible impact on the ground has been uneven, with some roads repeatedly patched and other areas still feeling neglected.

At the same time, pressures on homelessness services have remained high, with Barnet operating a rough sleeper assessment hub and a Severe Weather Emergency Protocol to provide emergency accommodation during cold spells.

These services are often stretched, which can create friction between residents who want rapid action and statutory agencies that must balance legal duties, capacity and resources.

In this context, the local election campaign in Barnet is less about high‑politics ideology and more about whether residents feel that the council is fixing roads, controlling costs and responding quickly when problems are reported.

Predictions: How this development can affect voters in Barnet

For Barnet residents, the focus on potholes, council tax and service responsiveness may shape their voting behaviour in two key ways. First, household‑level experiences—such as a damaged car following a deep pothole or a slow response to a welfare or housing referral—often weigh more heavily than abstract political messages, and candidates who emphasise these issues are likely to gain traction at the ballot box.

Second, the way the council responds to pressure over potholes and homelessness could influence trust in its ability to manage other services, such as libraries, parks maintenance and waste collection. If residents feel that the authority is visibly repairing roads and tightening response times for rough‑sleeping and welfare cases, the local Labour leadership may be able to frame the 2026 contests as a test of continued progress rather than a backlash.

Conversely, if potholes remain highly visible and service delays persist, the Conservative and Reform‑linked campaigns may succeed in branding the council as slow‑moving and insensitive to local concerns, which could translate into seat losses for Labour in a borough that has only recently turned red. Ultimately, the outcome is likely to hinge on whether Barnet voters still see the current administration as on the right trajectory—or as merely continuing a pattern of frustration over potholes, bills and waiting times.