Over the last year Bradford Council has seen its funding from central government slashed as the Tory/Lib Dem coalition seek to rip apart our social infrastructure which has been built up over generations.

They do so under the guise of deficit reduction, but their real agenda is to hand over control and funding of our precious services to private corporations, as the ongoing assault on our NHS shows.

These savage cuts to Council funding continue and will again be the focus of attention in the coming year. Green councillors have fought hard to preserve frontline services to the most vulnerable people in our district despite Government cuts. We have worked constructively with other parties, where appropriate, to limit these cuts and to look at other ways to increase income and reduce expenditure as fairly as possible. We will continue to do so as the task becomes ever harder.

In Bradford we are at the forefront of measures to reduce Council energy use as costs soar in coming years, saving on both carbon emissions and money that can be reserved for essential services elsewhere.

The more Green councillors we have, the louder our voice is heard. Vote Green on May 5.

Councillor Martin Love, leader of the Green Party group