Cameron launches election campaign

David Cameron has launched the Conservative Party's local election campaign using the slogan "vote blue, go green" - for the third election in a row.

The Tory leader said the local and London elections are of "national importance."

"They are chance to vote for change and send a message to this failing government: 'It is time to go away and make way for a party with fresh ideas, energy and with fresh thinking.

"A new Conservative government will deliver value-for-money by improving the way public services are run.

"We'll improve the NHS, we'll raise standards in schools, we'll fight back against crime and we have long-term plans to fix the country's finances and make sure the public's money is spent properly," Cameron said.

Speaking from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, where the Conservatives-run Kirklees council Cameron stressed that Tory local authorities represented value-for-money and led the way in environmental action.

Cameron said: "Conservatives believe in keeping the cost of living down and actually giving people value-for-money and the second is the importance of demonstrating how we can improve people's quality of life by improving the environment. That is why we are again running under this slogan of 'vote blue, go green.'"

As well as the environment, Cameron stressed that Conservative councils were more efficient and would save residents money during difficult economic times.

"Conservatives are on the side of the hard pressed tax payer and they need our help now more than ever. We never forget that it is your money that we are spending - there is no such thing as government money or local government money, it is taxpayers' money.

"That is why the next Conservative government will take practical steps to help local authorities to keep council tax down.

"As part of our commitment to decentralise and deregulate government we will relieve councils of the unfunded burdens and regulations, inspections and red-tape that have forced up council tax."

Cameron also talked about the "critical" vote for the mayor of London and the London Assembly.

"Everybody knows that it is a straight fight between Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone. Between a man with the personality and policies to unite Londoners and a man who has spent more than 20 years dividing them.

"Between a man who is an instinctive moderate and a man who's extremist politics are a matter of public record.

"Between a man who will run an administration open to all of those with talents and a man who relies on a closed and unaccountable clique to a grip on power," Cameron said.