County council leader Cllr David Williams says Conservatives offer voters in Hertfordshire the combination of a strong message and a strong team, with a proven track record.

The Conservative Party has candidates standing in every one of the county council’s 78 divisions, on May 6.

And Cllr Williams says he is ‘confident’ Hertfordshire will remain under Conservative control. Currently they hold 49 of those 78 seats.

Read more: Full list of Hertfordshire County Council election candidates for our area

The Conservative message, in the run-up to the county council elections,   includes six local priorities based around the recovery from Covid-19,  infrastructure, growth and prosperity, health and investment in families and the most vulnerable and sustainability.

Cllr Williams highlights the need, going forward, to address the consequences of the pandemic.

And election pledges include supporting those who have lost their jobs back in to work, addressing health inequalities and boosting support for the voluntary sector by £2 million.

Conservative Hertfordshire County Council leader Cllr David Williams

Conservative Hertfordshire County Council leader Cllr David Williams

Cllr David Williams

Cllr Williams also highlights the need for the ongoing work on integration between local government and health.

And the election priorities include a pledge to continue the support offered through Family Centres and measures to ‘bear down’ on obesity and diabetes.

Meanwhile there are also Conservative pledges to deliver homes – and 10,536 new school places – to secure skills and training need by employers and to get jobs growth ‘back on track’.

And Cllr Williams also highlights the Conservative pledge to ensure county council operations are carbon neutral by 2030 – and that Hertfordshire is carbon neutral by 2050.

There are also pledges to make £22m available for sustainability – and to send NO waste to landfill by 2030.

Cllr Williams also points to the recent award of £23.5m to transform energy efficiency of council buildings, as well as the approach to sustainable travel and planting trees.

Highlighting the environmental record of the Conservative-led county council, Cllr Williams points to 37,000 trees planted in Potters Bar and trees replaced on Hertfordshire highways.

He highlights the de-carbonisation of buildings and the plans for a solar farm, as well as ‘active travel’ and enhanced partnership with bus operators.

He says that over the past four years the Conservative-led county council has a record that is ‘second to none’ – and suggests it would be hard to find an authority that were as progressive as Herts.