Labour launched its manifesto this week with the headline: "Basingstoke's winning with Labour - don't let the Tories run down Basingstoke again."

Unveiling the manifesto on the bandstand in the War Memorial Park behind the council offices, deputy council leader Rob Donnelly said: "Basingstoke is doing well under Labour. It is a well-run, well-organised council.

"There are endless things coming on stream this year - the Aquadrome opens this month, there is the new Festival Place shopping centre being completed later this year, the new Asda supermarket for Brighton Hill and the Oakridge regeneration scheme.

"We are planning a £20 million replacement secondary school for Popley and we have kept council tax flat for four years. We absolutely stand on our record."

Cllr Donnelly said the likelihood was that Labour would continue its electoral pact with the Liberal Democrats - the two parties have run a joint administration of the borough for the past seven years. The present council has 15 Labour, 15 Lib-Dem and 25 Conservative councillors.

Cllr Donnelly said: "Based on our achievements over that time, I would hope that people will vote more Labour councillors in and reduce the number of Tory councillors. The policies that the Tories are pursuing will damp down Basingstoke. They did it once before. It led to Basingstoke becoming a very vulnerable place.

"Unemployment in Basingstoke rose to nine per cent and lots of businesses collapsed or moved out. At one stage they raised council rents by 66 per cent. Our record is exactly opposite. We have unemployment down to under one per cent and businesses are doing very well in Basingstoke.

"We are delivering more and more affordable housing - 30 per cent of all new development in Basingstoke will be affordable housing. We are also focusing on key worker housing to ensure that the police and other key workers can come to the borough."

Cllr Donnelly said that Basingstoke voters were very positive about the recent Budget when spoken to on their doorsteps.

He explained: "They are in favour of paying more to support the National Health Service. And they are saying: 'Why can't you bring in the National Insurance increase straight away?' We have to explain to them that, by law, we have to give 12 months' notice of NI increases."

Cllr Donnelly appealed to Basingstoke's electorate: "Please come out and vote. It is the apathy of people not bothering to vote that has allowed the far right their recent success in the French presidential election."