MORE than a decade of the SNP government slashing council budgets in Scotland has left a £2.5 billion road repair black hole, according to Scottish Labour.

The party sent freedom of information requests to all 32 Scottish local authorities asking for the estimated backlog in road maintenance in each — a calculation routinely carried out by council roads engineers.

A similar exercise carried out by Scottish Labour in 2022 found the total backlog to stand at over £1.7bn, but this year’s total — after 28 councils responded — had ballooned by over 47 per cent to standing at an eye-watering £2.5bn.

A third of the black hole lies in just two council areas, East Dunbartonshire and Dumfries & Galloway, which recorded backlogs of £598,454,000 and £252,471,000 respectively.

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Alex Rowley said: ”Scotland’s roads have been left to crumble and drivers are paying the price.”

Taking aim at the SNP, he said: “Scotland’s pothole-ridden roads are a damning symbol of SNP failure and a daily reminder of how badly this government has hollowed out council budgets.

“The SNP must end the brutal cuts to councils and deliver for the communities across Scotland being so badly let down by this out-of-touch SNP government.”

Hitting back, SNP Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “Just this week, the UK Labour government announced £22 billion of cuts to public spending that will see millions wiped from the Scottish government’s budget.

“With no sense of irony, the Labour Party are now making spending demands despite so far failing to inform the Scottish government on the full extent this latest wave of austerity will have on Scotland’s budget.

“People rightly expect serious discussion and co-operation between political parties — it’s time for Labour in Scotland to step up to the plate.”