A senior Birmingham Labour councillor has claimed the cost to the city taxpayer of hosting the Tory Party conference this year could have paid for 60 street cleaners.

Cabinet member for a green, safe and smart city Coun James McKay hit out over the subsidy of almost £1.5 million to host the Conservative Conference at the ICC in September.

The deal was signed off by former Conservative council leader Mike Whitby in 2012, shortly before they lost control of the council.

Cuts in household garden waste collection and piles of bags left uncollected have become the major political issue in the city going into the May 22 local elections.

Coun McKay (Lab, Harborne) said: "The money they spent on Tory conference could have kept 60 more street cleaners tidying up our streets but that's not the choice they made when they were running the council.

"Tories in Birmingham are trying to have it both ways. Now there's an election coming up, their leaflets are full of tales about street cleaning.

"But what did they do when they were in power? Spent nearly £1.5m bringing their pals to Birmingham to have a good time, while deciding to cut the equivalent of one hundred street cleaners. That shows where their real priorities lie.

"It's the same old Tories, saying one thing while doing another. Who do they think they are kidding?"

Last week, Lord Whitby defended giving the ICC £1.5 million funding to host the Tory Party Conference as it generated £20 million business for the city's economy and put Birmingham on the global map.

He said: "The party conferences are undoubtedly one of the most cost-effective ways of bringing influential media to Birmingham and presenting the city in a positive light."

He said that Manchester and Liverpool "understand the importance of generating media attention and attracting movers and shakers".