Tory leader, David Cameron, has urged local election voters to back the Conservatives, with a promise to keep council tax down. Speaking at the launch of the local election campaign, Mr Cameron said local people and communities expected their councils to deliver good service and good value for money. He added that wasting public money was ‘a slap in the face' to people on tight budgets. ‘As people see the cost of their groceries going up, they want a council which keeps costs down,' he said. ‘There is nothing more depressing than paying a whacking great cheque to the council and then watching it being squandered on pointless schemes and vanity projects driven by councillors on an ego trip.' Labour local government secretary, Hazel Blears, disputed Mr Cameron's claims. She said recent figures spoke for themselves and revealed the average council tax per dwelling was, on average, £204 less in areas where the top-tier authority was Labour-controlled, than in areas where the top tier was Conservative. ‘The choice for people voting in May's local elections is clear,' she said. ‘If you want value for money, vote Labour.'
