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| David Cameron launches election campaign with swipes at Ed Miliband | David Cameron launches election campaign with swipes at Ed Miliband |
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| David Cameron has launched the general election campaign with warnings in Downing Street and a key target seat that Britain faces a stark choice between a safe and secure future under the Tories or economic chaos under Labour. | David Cameron has launched the general election campaign with warnings in Downing Street and a key target seat that Britain faces a stark choice between a safe and secure future under the Tories or economic chaos under Labour. |
| In a sign that the Tories will run a highly personalised campaign against Ed Miliband, the prime minister took the rare step amid the formalities of the day to namecheck the Labour leader three times on the Downing Street steps. | In a sign that the Tories will run a highly personalised campaign against Ed Miliband, the prime minister took the rare step amid the formalities of the day to namecheck the Labour leader three times on the Downing Street steps. |
| Related: Cameron's warning on Labour's £3,000 'tax rise' is shot down by IFS | Related: Cameron's warning on Labour's £3,000 'tax rise' is shot down by IFS |
| Cameron later repeated his message as he made his first visit of the campaign - to the Liberal Democrat-held seat of Chippenham in Wiltshire – after formally notifying the Queen of the dissolution of parliament. | Cameron later repeated his message as he made his first visit of the campaign - to the Liberal Democrat-held seat of Chippenham in Wiltshire – after formally notifying the Queen of the dissolution of parliament. |
| In a short speech to Tory activists at a school in the Corsham area of the constituency, which lies in 28th place on the party’s list of target seats, the prime minister said: “Never forget this election is a choice. You can stick with the Conservatives, who’ve shown competence, who’ve shown decency, who’ve shown a long-term economic plan that has turned the country round or you can put that at risk.” | In a short speech to Tory activists at a school in the Corsham area of the constituency, which lies in 28th place on the party’s list of target seats, the prime minister said: “Never forget this election is a choice. You can stick with the Conservatives, who’ve shown competence, who’ve shown decency, who’ve shown a long-term economic plan that has turned the country round or you can put that at risk.” |
| The prime minister travelled to Chippenham after breaking with the pattern set by his predecessors to launch a highly partisan attack on his main opponent on the steps of Downing Street on his return from Buckingham Palace. Speaking after he had formally notified the Queen that parliament had been dissolved at midnight, the prime minister said in a message to voters: “In 38 days’ time you face a stark choice. The next prime minister walking through that door will be me or Ed Miliband. | The prime minister travelled to Chippenham after breaking with the pattern set by his predecessors to launch a highly partisan attack on his main opponent on the steps of Downing Street on his return from Buckingham Palace. Speaking after he had formally notified the Queen that parliament had been dissolved at midnight, the prime minister said in a message to voters: “In 38 days’ time you face a stark choice. The next prime minister walking through that door will be me or Ed Miliband. |
| “You can choose an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NHS, a government that will cut taxes for 30 million hardworking people and a country that is safe and secure. Or you can choose the economic chaos of Ed Miliband’s Britain – over £3,000 in higher taxes for every working family to pay for more welfare and out-of-control spending. Debt will rise and jobs will be lost as a result.” | “You can choose an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NHS, a government that will cut taxes for 30 million hardworking people and a country that is safe and secure. Or you can choose the economic chaos of Ed Miliband’s Britain – over £3,000 in higher taxes for every working family to pay for more welfare and out-of-control spending. Debt will rise and jobs will be lost as a result.” |
| The remarks by Cameron, which contrast with speeches by his predecessors who usually tried to place themselves above the political fray in such circumstances, show that the Tories believe they have their work cut out to deliver one of their key messages of the campaign. This is that voters face a binary choice between Cameron and Miliband. | The remarks by Cameron, which contrast with speeches by his predecessors who usually tried to place themselves above the political fray in such circumstances, show that the Tories believe they have their work cut out to deliver one of their key messages of the campaign. This is that voters face a binary choice between Cameron and Miliband. |
| The Conservatives enter the election campaign in nervous mood after a YouGov/Sunday Times poll placed Labour four points ahead of the Tories – 36% to 32%. Lynton Crosby, the party’s election campaign director, had told the party they would have achieved “crossover” – the point at which the Tories take a decisive lead over Labour – by now. | The Conservatives enter the election campaign in nervous mood after a YouGov/Sunday Times poll placed Labour four points ahead of the Tories – 36% to 32%. Lynton Crosby, the party’s election campaign director, had told the party they would have achieved “crossover” – the point at which the Tories take a decisive lead over Labour – by now. |
| Related: General election 2015: photo highlights from the campaign trail | |
| The prime minister reinforced his warnings that the electorate faced a choice between Tory “competence” and “chaos” under the other parties by saying in Chippenham that a vote for Labour could give the SNP a say in the UK government. | The prime minister reinforced his warnings that the electorate faced a choice between Tory “competence” and “chaos” under the other parties by saying in Chippenham that a vote for Labour could give the SNP a say in the UK government. |
| To cheers from Tory activists, a shirt-sleeved prime minister said: “Do you know there is only one thing worse than a Labour government with Ed Miliband in Downing Street. That is Ed Miliband in Downing Street backed up by Alex Salmond and the SNP. This is the risk - an alliance between the people who want to bankrupt Britain, that is Labour, and the people who want to break up Britain, that is the SNP. There is only one group of people in this country that can stop that happening – that is the Conservatives.” | To cheers from Tory activists, a shirt-sleeved prime minister said: “Do you know there is only one thing worse than a Labour government with Ed Miliband in Downing Street. That is Ed Miliband in Downing Street backed up by Alex Salmond and the SNP. This is the risk - an alliance between the people who want to bankrupt Britain, that is Labour, and the people who want to break up Britain, that is the SNP. There is only one group of people in this country that can stop that happening – that is the Conservatives.” |
| The prime minister’s visit to Chippenham shows the limits of his electoral ambitions. The party needs to gain 23 seats to reach the magic 326 seats that would give Cameron a parliamentary majority of one. The Tories won 306 seats in 2010 but have since lost three seats. The seat that would take the Tories over the line is the Labour-held Plymouth Moor View, which is 23rd on the Tory target list. | The prime minister’s visit to Chippenham shows the limits of his electoral ambitions. The party needs to gain 23 seats to reach the magic 326 seats that would give Cameron a parliamentary majority of one. The Tories won 306 seats in 2010 but have since lost three seats. The seat that would take the Tories over the line is the Labour-held Plymouth Moor View, which is 23rd on the Tory target list. |
| Related: Ed Miliband: EU exit threat makes reforms harder to negotiate | |
| Tory sources rejected suggestions that the decision to visit Chippenham was a sign of a lack of electoral ambition after a poll by Lord Ashcroft suggested that the party should easily capture the seat from Duncan Hames who has served as Nick Clegg’s parliamentary aide. | Tory sources rejected suggestions that the decision to visit Chippenham was a sign of a lack of electoral ambition after a poll by Lord Ashcroft suggested that the party should easily capture the seat from Duncan Hames who has served as Nick Clegg’s parliamentary aide. |
| The poll put the Tories on 39%, ahead of the Lib Dems on 24%, who won the seat with a majority of 2,470 in 2010. One source said: “We are here because we can win here. It is as simple as that.” | The poll put the Tories on 39%, ahead of the Lib Dems on 24%, who won the seat with a majority of 2,470 in 2010. One source said: “We are here because we can win here. It is as simple as that.” |
| The Tory source also defended the decision to namecheck Miliband on the steps of Downing Street. “We needed to frame the choice at the election,” the source said. “If you vote for any other party than the Conservatives you end up with chaos.” | The Tory source also defended the decision to namecheck Miliband on the steps of Downing Street. “We needed to frame the choice at the election,” the source said. “If you vote for any other party than the Conservatives you end up with chaos.” |
| The prime minister’s earlier visit to the Queen was largely symbolic, providing the Tories with invaluable television pictures, after the coalition changed the law on the calling of an election. | The prime minister’s earlier visit to the Queen was largely symbolic, providing the Tories with invaluable television pictures, after the coalition changed the law on the calling of an election. |
| Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2011, the power to dissolve parliament no longer remains in the hands of the monarch in the royal prerogative. It is now a statutory power. This meant the prime minister was simply informing the Queen that parliament had been dissolved rather than asking her, as all his predecessors have, to dissolve parliament to allow an election to be held. | Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2011, the power to dissolve parliament no longer remains in the hands of the monarch in the royal prerogative. It is now a statutory power. This meant the prime minister was simply informing the Queen that parliament had been dissolved rather than asking her, as all his predecessors have, to dissolve parliament to allow an election to be held. |
| In his speech in Downing Street, the Cameron said he would travel to all four constituent parts of the UK during the campaign to explain how he had turned the country round after inheriting a nation “on the brink”. | In his speech in Downing Street, the Cameron said he would travel to all four constituent parts of the UK during the campaign to explain how he had turned the country round after inheriting a nation “on the brink”. |
| Related: Labour dismisses row about campaign ad featuring business leaders' quotes | |
| He said: “Five years ago, when I walked through that black door, millions of people were unemployed, there was no economic security for our families and there were worries about whether our country could pay its debts. Britain was on the brink. | He said: “Five years ago, when I walked through that black door, millions of people were unemployed, there was no economic security for our families and there were worries about whether our country could pay its debts. Britain was on the brink. |
| “Five years later, because of our long-term economic plan and the difficult decisions we have taken we have more people in work in our country than at any time in our history, living standards are on the rise and we are more economically secure. Of course we haven’t fixed everything, but Britain is back on its feet again.” | “Five years later, because of our long-term economic plan and the difficult decisions we have taken we have more people in work in our country than at any time in our history, living standards are on the rise and we are more economically secure. Of course we haven’t fixed everything, but Britain is back on its feet again.” |
| Nick Clegg also met the Queen in his role as lord president of the council for the last scheduled meeting of the privy council before the election. The deputy prime minister said the Liberal Democrats offered voters an alternative to the “dismal choice” of a lurch to the left or right under Labour and the Tories. Clegg said: “About the very last thing the country needs is a lurch to the left or the right. And yet that is exactly what the Conservative and Labour parties are now threatening ... That is a dismal choice.” | Nick Clegg also met the Queen in his role as lord president of the council for the last scheduled meeting of the privy council before the election. The deputy prime minister said the Liberal Democrats offered voters an alternative to the “dismal choice” of a lurch to the left or right under Labour and the Tories. Clegg said: “About the very last thing the country needs is a lurch to the left or the right. And yet that is exactly what the Conservative and Labour parties are now threatening ... That is a dismal choice.” |