TORY leader Clr Robert Light says he will push for a council tax rise of 2.7%.

He said: "Council tax rises are emotive every year. This year is no different with pensioners being particularly aggrieved, and rightly so, given that this year's proposed 6% increase will mean it has gone up by 26% in four years.

"Reasons for these increases? An uncaring Labour Government who have imposed 60 different tax hikes since 1997, whilst cutting local funding, is one.

"But unimaginative councils such as Kirklees, who lack the bottle to oppose the Government and come up with excessive budgets which lack ideas, are the main culprits.

"Liberal Democrats have set the council's budget for four years.

"Every year they make the excuse that the Government isn't providing enough money, that their hands are tied.

"In four years they have imposed council tax increases totalling 26% whilst inflation has risen by under 10%.

"Compare that with Bradford. Conservatives led for the last four years and this year's proposed council tax increase is just 1.65%! On top of that the average council taxpayer in Bradford pays £75 a year less than in Kirklees.

"We must not be fooled by the spin - the Liberal Democrats have this year chosen to put up council tax by 6%, just like a few years ago Labour chose to increase it by 13%. The public must cast their views on this choice!

"Regrettably this year, Conservatives propose a 2.7% increase - too high in our opinion, but it is impossible to turn around the `spend spend spend' culture of the council in one budget period.

"Given control of the council in future years, we will be looking to emulate or even beat this year's Bradford figures.

"The Conservative budget is an achievable budget which will cut bureaucracy and offer developments and improvements in some services. More importantly it will lay the foundations to return Kirklees to financial respectability.

"Our budget is part of a five-year strategy. Developments include service improvements in social services for children and families and older people, reinstating a free garden waste and bulky item collection service and increasing the provision for traffic management."