Saving libraries, halting street cleaning cuts and getting a better deal for taxpayers is at the heart of the Kirklees Conservatives election bid.

The party, which is fielding candidates in all 24 seats at Thursday’s local elections, says electing them is the only way of turning the tide of cuts.

Conservative leader Clr Robert Light said the current Labour administration had failed local people.

“The biggest issue is Labour’s decimation of local services in our area, especially rural services and services outside of Huddersfield,” he said. “The closure of libraries, the cuts to street cleaning, people feel they’re paying for more but getting less. This is all being proposed by Labour and they are the things people are talking to us about on the doorstep.

“People ask us “why don’t you sort this mess out?” but unfortunately I think we have a very weak Labour leadership.”

Kirklees Conservatives, currently with 18 councillors, also don’t have the might to overpower the 32 Labour councillors.

Although Kirklees Council is run by a party with no overall control, the budget proposals were passed when Labour worked with the eight-strong Green and Valley Independents who secured concessions on their own manifesto pledges.

The numbers will need to change dramatically come Friday – when the results will be announced – to alter Kirklees’ state of no overall control.

Asked how, with the same money available to Kirklees, the Conservatives would hold back on the cuts, Clr Light added: “Our budget proposals prove we don’t need to cut so much. We can afford to continue street cleaning.

“People are enthused by the idea of power and budgets being devolved back to the community.

“They agree with us that we need less bureaucracy, they agree that we don’t need to spend half a million on trade union activity, people support the idea of saving the mobile library instead of funding trade unionists.”

Clr Light added: “You never know what it will mean being on the same day as a General Election. The voter turnout will be higher than at most local elections.

“As much as it might irk us politicians, I do think people will go to vote for a party, but I think the Kirklees Conservatives message has always been distinctive and does resonate with local people.”

Election leaflets by Conservative candidates focus heavily on the library services, with others saying they will be “protecting our green fields”.

They also promise a council tax freeze – which has already been introduced – retain funding for Neighbourhood Police and increase funding for road repairs.