LABOUR spending plans will bust Kirklees, say Tories.

Residents will be saddled with huge council tax rises in the years to come, according to Tory council leader Robert Light.

He said he feared that the financial crisis would be worse than Kirklees has faced

before.

Clr Robert Light said: "It is quite clear that the spending spree they are proposing, while spread over a number of years, will seriously bankrupt Kirklees and leave a huge legacy of debt which will inevitably lead to large council tax rises in the years to come."

Clr Light warned that if Labour's plans were adopted it would result in the council tax rising by up to 10% each year from 2010.

He said: "They are planning a huge U-turn in the recycling programme which will actually see recycling reduced across the borough and leave Kirklees liable to £45m in Government fines.

"Their budget will also see the council committed to building and running expensive residential homes which will cost over £500,000 a year more than they would if they were run in partnership with the private sector.

"That could put an extra £2m alone on the revenue budget for each year, a massive £40m over the lifetime of the borrowing."

Spending proposals will be debated at the full council meeting tomorrow.

The Tory administration wants a 3% rise in council tax and Labour the same.

Liberal Democrats say the rise should be 3.1% and Greens are calling for 3.2%.