THE Conservatives say Buckinghamshire voters see them as “saviours” while the British National Party says it support is growing as parties come out fighting for next month’s county council elections.

Five parties are hitting the campaign trail ahead of the June 4 poll for all 57 members of Buckinghamshire County Council.

In south Bucks 152 people are vying for 37 seats with the BNP standing for the first time and the UK Independence Party massively expanding its candidate list.

The Conservatives hope to hold onto their 45 seat majority for all 57 seats while the Liberal Democrats, the only other party on the authority, is seeking to boost its 12-seat showing.

Lib Dem spokesman Steve Lambert slammed Tories for cutting education and adult social services budgets and raising its council tax share by 3.7 per cent, 2.6 per cent above inflation.

Mr Lambert said: “They are lurching from one crisis to the other. They have no ideas and solutions. The Liberal Democrats offer this solution.”

The Lib Dems are contesting every south Bucks seat but, unlike 2005, will not stand in Gerrards Cross and Denham North. Mr Lambert added: “We expect to increase our seats.”

Yet deputy council leader Bill Chapple said of the Conservatives: “People recognise that we do a good job, they are more than happy and want us back in power.”

The party is contesting every seat and Mr Chapple said he hoped to win 50.

He said: “People are totally fed up with Labour – they really do only see the Conservatives as the only alternative. They are looking to us to be their saviours.”

The Lib Dem’s funding criticism was akin to them “running with hares and hounds” he said as services cannot be run without council tax increases. Government funding was too low, he said.

Labour last year lost its only two county councillors when Councillors Julia Wassell defected to the Liberal Democrats.

It has fielded 23 candidates for south Bucks. Compared to 2005 it will stand in three new wards but has withdrawn from six, including Ryemead, Tylers Green and Loudwater, the ward of council leader David Shakespeare.

Spokesman Ted Collins said: “We are expecting a reasonable result. The canvassing team have had a reasonable reception. With what is going on in Westminster, anything could happen.

“I think all political parties want more candidates but ours are good, strong candidates.”

The BNP has put forward husband and wife Richard and Helen Hamilton for the Marlow and Ryemead wards. Matthew and mother Hilary will stand for Thames and Hazlemere divisions.

Spokesman Mr Tait said sustainability – particularly cutting back on over-development – was the “main issue” followed by curbs on immigration and withdrawal from the EU.

He said: “We are standing for the first time because the party is going from strength to strength.

“All round the county we are getting lots of queries, we have many more members.”

Negative feedback on the doorstep was “few and far between”, he said.

UKIP is to stand in all but three south Bucks wards, Amersham, Chalfont St Peter and Chess Valley.

Spokesman Daniel Samuel-Camps said: “It is an opportunity for the people of Buckinghamshire to send a clear message of dissatisfaction to Westminster”

A major issue for the party is its fear the EU will “do away” with county councils through regional assemblies, he said.

The authority gets about two-thirds of the council tax bill, an average £1,056, and manages major services including education, social services and streets and pavements.

It has hit headlines in the last year over an aborted option to put an incinerator at Beaconsfield, the rationing of grit in the February snow storms, slashing of office jobs and the uncertain future of £5m still locked in an Icelandic bank.