AFTER four years in control of Thurrock, people know exactly what the Conservatives in Thurrock are all about; cuts and waste. Indeed the only cut the Tories haven't made is the one they promised in 2004 - a cut in our Council Tax.

In this election campaign local Tories are ignoring their own wretched record by trying to make people forget what a mess they've made of things.

We're now paying more than ever and getting much less.

The Tories have cut the kind of services local people expect their council to provide and their penny-pinching on Grays Beach Park maintenance could require another £1.5million of cuts.

Time and again local Conservatives have proved their incompetence; they simply can't be trusted with taxpayers' money.

Tory-run Thurrock Council has wasted millions on fat-cat pay-offs and paying for "Consultants", one consultant was paid over £250,000 to axe local bus routes!

Last year the Conservatives were planning huge increases in Adult Social Care charges, but kept their plans secret from voters until local elections were safely out of the way.

Only Labour's campaign and the public outcry prevented the highest increases, but the Tory Cabinet still managed to force through massive increases in charges for services that were free when the Tories took office in June 2004! We can only speculate about this year's secret Tory cuts list.

The Conservatives closed and bulldozed Elizabeth House and failed to use Government powers effectively to get to grips with litter, graffiti, fly tipping and anti-social behaviour.

Tories talk tough but act soft, especially when it comes to yobs, issuing just one ASBO in the last two years.

To bring about the change we all want to see we must first elect local people who really care about Thurrock. Labour has an excellent roster of strong candidates standing in this election who are prepared to work hard all year round, not just at election time. They will listen to and work closely with local people, not ignore them.

Labour's priorities are the Thurrock peoples priorities. We want local people to have real influence over the Council's policies.

For example local people will have a bigger say in the cleaning and greening of their area. Labour's fresh approach will:

Ensure more Police, PCSO's and neighbourhood wardens are out and about.

Get tough on yobs who make life a misery for the rest of us.

Crackdown on underage drinking and drugs.

Clean-up our local parks and green spaces.

Provide more local activities for young people.

Peg Council Tax to inflation or below for the next two years.

Introduce Free Lifeline Alarm System for Thurrock's elderly.

Scrap Tory increases in Social Care Charges proposed for April 2009.

Guarantee Thurrock's weekly bin collection.

Defend our precious Green belt from unscrupulous developers.

There is a real choice in this year's elections, that's why people should vote Labour on May 1 to cure the cuts and start to put things right.