A proof that government's a bad way to run things

That certain things just do have to be done by government is true. For there are things that have to be done and also only government can do. We are not, after all, anarcho-capitalists around here. But a generally agreed idea around here is that government should be limited to only those things which must be done and also can only be done by government. One practical reason for this being that government’s not very good at doing things.

Breakdowns caused by potholes have risen by almost a third in two years, according to the AA, as Britain’s worsening roads snag tyres and wreck cars’ suspension.

Jakob Pfaudler, the chief executive, said callouts linked to Britain’s broken roads had risen by 30pc in the past two years.

He welcomed Rishi Sunak’s plan to spend £8bn mending holes in roads, saying it would be appreciated by his customers.

Mr Pfaudler said: “We were pleased that there’s investment in road infrastructure, particularly potholes, that’s something our members are very concerned about.”

The Prime Minister recently set out plans to spend some of the billions that were earmarked for HS2 on fixing Britain’s broken roads, after axing the Northern leg of the rail project.

The above being just an example of why this is so. Government is terrible at maintenance. That just general and boring grind of making sure that the little bits are tidied up around the edges, that things we’ve already got get fixed and stay fixed at that micro level.

For look at what is happening. Government currently spends around 45% of GDP. That’s 45% of everything. They tax motorists multiples of what it costs to enable people to be motorists - fuel duty, the VAT on it and so on is vastly, hugely, greater than the roads budget. But look at what then happens.

Firstly, as we know, the tax revenue from this activity is used to finance other lovely things for other lovely people. That’s a part of politics, using other peoples’ money to buy the votes of a third party.

Secondly, and more importantly, that good, service or infrastructure just never is properly maintained. For maintenance just isn’t one of the things that allows public posturing - that essential in vote buying. As no politician can cut a red ribbon over a pothole repair then pothole repairs don’t get done.

Until, obviously and as here, it’s possible to dress up that myriad of £50 repairs as a national £8 billion plan.

Politics, the political system, just never does deal with the fifty quid things. That’s why it’s such a bad way of actually running something.