Outspoken left-winger Tony Benn is one of the reasons why Tory local Councillor Kris Hopkins is bidding for a place in the corridors of power at Westminster in the election.

Coun Hopkins, the deputy leader on Bradford City Council, says the veteran former MP, who is on the campaign trail in Keighley this week, has all the right qualities for a man representing people at the top level.

The desire to achieve that level has seen Coun Hopkins, from Oakworth, being made the Conservative's candidate for Halifax up against a Labour majority of 6,000.

He is one of several local politicians in the Bradford district aiming to achieve a seat in the Commons.

Other Bradford councillors bidding to step up include David Ward standing for the Liberal Democrats in Bradford North, Mukhtar Ali for the Lib Dems in Bradford West, James Lewthwaite for the BNP in Bradford South and John Briggs for the Lib Dems in Shipley.

Coun Hopkins said he was driven to become an MP by the desire to represent people just as he had at local level.

"The successes at local level have made me believe I would enjoy it at Parliamentary level. It is all about giving people a voice."

He said very often MPs are asked to tackle very personal problems for his constituents.

"They can seem quite mundane on the global scale of things but to the individual it may be a very important issue.

"It is a bigger world down there but you are still trying to make sure the people you represent get their issues heard."

His background, as former chairman of social services on Bradford Council, makes him interested in campaigning for better deals for young people and the elderly.

And he admires retired Labour MP Tony Benn for his frankness.

He said: "He was outspoken and believes in representing people and has always been passionate about democracy. That is admirable."

Coun David Ward said he was keeping up the Lib Dem tradition of representing areas where they live.

"I am only interested in Bradford North," he said. "Nowhere else. If I was offered a safe seat anywhere else I would turn it down. This is where my family was brought up."

He said many MPs in the Lib Dems were often local councillors.

"We are community-based politicians and like to represent the area we live in," he said.

He said there were issues at local level he found frustrating and believes more could be done as an MP on those issues such as social cohesion.

"I want to be able to offer more," he said. "There are a lot of things a good MP should be able to help with."

He said the Lib Dem vote increased at the last election and he believed the trend would continue.

He denied that wanting to be an MP was a case of being power mad.

"Any power will be used for the benefit of local people," he said.

"The basis is you obtain power to give it back to people."