THE election trail has been launched in Oxfordshire with the main political parties gearing up for the district council elections on Thursday, May 4.

Some 61 seats on Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell district councils are up for grabs, in addition to two county council by-elections.

With that in mind, the county is now awash with political activity as activists pounded the streets looking for votes.

Conservative Party leader and Witney MP David Cameron met party activists during a day in his West Oxfordshire constituency.

Mr Cameron led campaigners on a walkabout of the town, drumming up support among shoppers.

But it is in Oxford where the Tories' face their toughest test, hoping to elect their first city councillor since 2002.

Conservative county councillor Ian Hudspeth is co-ordinating the Tories' assault on the Town Hall, which is currently run by a minority Labour administration.

He said: "We are aware there are no Tory city councillors, but I am sure there will be after May 4.

"There has been a 'Cameron effect', in so much as people are more aware of the Tories.

"Our policies are not just old-style Conservative and we are looking at everything particularly the environment and law and order."

The Liberal Democrats launched their election manifesto under the mantra "People come first", through a clean-up of neighbourhoods and more devolved power to communities.

The Greens drafted in MEP Caroline Lucas to launch their campaign where the party is seeking to improve on their seven seats.

She said: "Every time David Cameron is asked to discuss a specific policy proposal you see him ducking and diving, slipping and sliding. At the moment there is a completely blank page."

Labour faces a stern test in the city, not least because the group is losing five city councillors.

Leader Alex Hollingsworth, his partner Susan Brown, Bill Baker, Bill Buckingham and Beryl Keen are all retiring at the elections.

Ms Brown said: "Our party is far stronger than a few individuals. It is a difficult set of elections, we are defending a lot of seats this time.

"I don't even try and make predictions before people have cast their vote, but I hope we will still have a Labour-run council.

"We are the only party with a clear programme and will be fighting our campaign on what we want Oxford to look like and what we believe the people of Oxford care about."

Stuart Craft, leader of the Independent Working Class Association, which has three city councillors, said: "We are just going to fight for the interests of working class people the residents we stand for.

"People know what we are about, so we don't have to make any great election pledges."