York's political parties clashed today on the last full day of campaigning before voters go to the polls.

With Labour staunchly defending the four-seat majority that gives it control of City of York Council, tensions are running high among the front runners as they enter the final stage of the election.

Tomorrow's ballot, May 6, will also be seen as a mid-term verdict on Tony Blair's Government and a key test for embattled Tory leader William Hague.

National observers believe Labour should keep most of its metropolitan strongholds, such as York. But the main opposition group on City of York Council, the Liberal Democrats, are making strenuous last-minute efforts to persuade voters to help them wrest control.

And the Tories - all but wiped out in the last elections in York in 1995 - are hoping to smooth over last week's cracks in the national leadership to stage a dramatic local comeback.

But the atmosphere turned hostile today as Labour laid into its opponents for spreading "misleading" information about the amount of money the council spends on marketing.

Dave Ellis, Labour's campaign co-ordinator, said: "One thing that has really got our backs up is that the other parties have been saying we spend £25,000 a week on "propaganda" like the Citizen newspaper. "Well, if they don't like the Citizen, that's their political view but that £25,000 covers far, far more than just that, such as job ads in the papers and statutory notices."

But the Lib Dems hit back, accusing Labour of "breathtaking hypocrisy". The party's Peter Vaughan said: "Labour has massively increased the total spending in the marketing and communications area so that it now approaches the total amount of money spent on job creation activities. Secondly, considering some of the travesties of the truth in recent Labour leaflets, I can only suggest they look at their own 'misinformation'."

And Ken Creek, of the York Conservatives, said: "If the people of York realised how much it cost to put out the Citizen and all the other unnecessary "glossies", they would be shocked. Why doesn't the council just send out a summary newsletter of its activities with the tax bill, like they do very well in North Yorkshire?"

Meanwhile, to the east of York, voters in places such as Pocklington, Stamford Bridge and Market Weighton will have a chance tomorrow to save East Riding of Yorkshire Council from another term as a hung council.

But one of the main battles will be persuading voters to come out and mark their ballot card, with local elections suffering notoriously low turnouts.

Local authorities have been running campaigns to remind voters of the importance of May 6.

As well as using radio and TV channels, City of York Council has used city centre shop windows to advertise the event.

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