Caroline Spelman

Thursday's local elections could help to decide whether motorists will face new taxes, the Conservatives have said.

As election campaigning continued, shadow local and devolved government affairs secretary Caroline Spelman warned drivers they could be "taxed if you move, taxed if you don't".

She said that both Labour and the Liberal Democrats were backing congestion taxes, toll taxes and workplace parking taxes.

Regional assemblies and Government Offices for the Regions were planning to use "regional transport strategies" to impose from above these new taxes on local councils, Spelman added.

"As if soaring council taxes weren’t enough, local residents are now being threatened with yet another attempt to snatch back their hard-earned money," she warned.

"Such taxes are being imposed not only by Labour and Liberal Democrat councils, but by the backdoor via distant, unaccountable regional bureaucrats.

"So unpopular are these new taxes, the Labour government are neutering the ability of local councils to oppose them. On June 10, a vote for local Conservatives will be a vote to fight these new local taxes."

Her call was backed by shadow transport secretary Theresa May, who accused Labour of "waging a war on drivers".

"Now we see how Labour and Liberal Democrat councils are taking the government's lead and are planning to bring in new anti-car taxes to drive up the cost of driving and try to force people out of their cars," she said.

"When will they learn that the car is not a luxury for most people?  Until they provide good public transport alternatives, the car is a necessity for many.

"This just shows how the government has let down the travelling public."