Council pensions slammed
Tories called for the "soaring" cost of town hall pensions to be cut after figures showed the bill to council tax payers almost quadrupled since 1997.
New figures show the local government scheme paid out £5.2bn last year, a 10% annual increase, with employer contributions up 8% to £5bn.
The Tories said the cost, set centrally by Whitehall, is "forcing them into service cuts to balance their books".