IF you are allowed to vote, you are liable to pay tax.

While some issues being discussed in the Worcester election campaign might not directly impact on all of the city's residents, tax is the single issue that will.

And there are distinct differences in approach to the issue between the city's main parties. The Conservative group is promising council tax will increase by no more than 2.5 per cent above inflation over the next two years if it is elected.

"It's safe enough to make that pledge now that we've got the budget into good shape," said the council's deputy leader and finance cabinet member, Simon Geraghty.

"Matching it to inflation is important because families have to plan their budgets and people's pay increases are often dictated by it."

Baseless

Coun Geraghty argued that Labour's election promises - including introducing free bus travel for pensioners - were "un-costed" and would lead to larger tax rises.

Coun Marc Bayliss, Labour's current member for finance, defended the plans.

"Our proposals aren't baseless, we've not drawn them up without considering what they mean," he said.

He was unwilling to talk about possible tax rises if the group was elected until it was able to carry out a "root and branch" review of the council's books.

"We want to make council leaner and better run.

"Also the council has, of course, recently sold its housing stock," he added.

"The council has millions of pounds worth of capital receipts. While they can't be spent on revenue, we think they could be put to better use and do more for the council."

Worcester's Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, are backing their party's national campaign to abolish council tax completely.

"This would help people on fixed and low incomes, often pensioners, who pay a higher proportion of council tax than those who can clearly afford to pay more," said Lib Dem candidate, Paul Griffiths.

"It would also let councils start to raise more of the money they spend locally, rather than relying on unpredictable handouts from central government.

STATS

Battenhall is a new ward and was formerly part of St Peter, represented by three Conservative councillors.

Its northern border runs down London Road and it includes Blessed Edward Oldcorne RC High School and, at its eastern tip, the RNIB College.

The quality of health of people in the ward is below the city average.

A quarter of all households in the ward contain at least one pensioner.

Louis Stephen, Liberal Democrat

Louis Stephen is married with a young family attending Cherry Orchard and Nunnery Wood schools.

He works as a project manager for a Worcester-based international engineering company.

Paul Griffiths, Liberal Democrats

Paul Griffiths is chairman of Worcester Liberal Democrats, and is passionate about local democracy. He works for a computer software company in Birmingham.

He is a member of the Worcester Twinning Association.

Chris Winwood, Labour

Worcester born-and-bred, Chris Winwood says he is disappointed with how the city is run.

"The current city council seems obsessed with transforming the centre of our great city into an enormous car park, he said.

Andrew Watson, Labour

A chartered accountant by profession, Andrew Watson works as general manager of a specialist bathroom company.

Worcestershire born, he is married with two grown-up children and lives in the Battenhall ward

Robert Rowden and Dr David Tibbutt, Conservative

Robert Rowden was first elected as a city councillor in 1991 and has served as leader of the council and as Mayor of Worcester in the past few years.

David Tibbutt was a consultant physician at the Worcester Royal Infirmary for 22 years. He is a member of the Worcester Acute NHS Trust's Patients' Forum.

"We both live in the Battenhall ward and believe in listening to, and seeking the opinions of, the people who elect us and then speaking up for them. We also believe in keeping local government local as well as aiming to keep our part of the council tax as low as possible.