Brown and Cameron set stage for May 6 poll

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister put the economy at the heart of the campaign by urging the electorate not to risk the recovery by voting for the Conservatives.

Standing in front of his Cabinet, he said: “Britain is on the road to recovery and nothing we do should put that recovery at risk.

The state of the parties "Over the next few weeks I will go round the country - the length and breadth of our land - and I will take to the people a very straightforward and clear message. Britain is on the road to recovery and nothing we do should put that recovery at risk.

"Get the big decisions right - as we did in the last 18 months since the world recession - and jobs, prosperity and better standards of living will result.

"Get the big decisions wrong and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are diminished as a result."

Disclosing the “worst-kept secret” in politics, Mr Brown confirmed that the General Election would take place on May 6.

He said: "The Queen has kindly agreed to the dissolution of Parliament and a General Election will take place on May 6."

Minutes before he spoke, David Cameron, the Conservative leader, attempted to steal a march on Mr Brown, making his first speech of the campaign before the date was even confirmed.

He said that he was fighting on behalf of the “Great Ignored,” describing the election as the most important for a generation.

"It comes down to this. You don't have to put up with another five years of Gordon Brown," said Mr Cameron.

Mr Brown asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament and call a general election on May 6 during a 23 minute audience at Buckingham Palace.

Their talk followed a Cabinet meeting lasting three-quarters of an hour, with ministers signing off on Labour’s election manifesto.

Labour’s intention is to portray the strength of the party’s top team compared to that of the Conservatives.

Mr Brown said that he wasn’t a “team of one,” and highlighted the strength of the Cabinet.

He also disclosed that he would set out a full programme of constitutional reform in coming days in a bid to restore the trust in politics which had been lost following the expenses scandal.

“I have one final mandate to ask of the British people as well,” he said, “to improve the public trust in our democracy and public life.”

Prime ministers usually claim all of the spot light when calling an election, and the Tories will point out that the tactic highlights how, unlike most leaders, Mr Brown is clearly not seen being portrayed by Labour as their strongest card.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, welcomed the start of the general election campaign and vowed that he had the energy to get the country moving again.

The Tory leader began the first day of the campaign with a half-hour jog, leaving his west London home at 6.30am.

As Mr Brown drove back from the Palace, Mr Cameron made his first speech of the campaign. He said: "We're fighting this election for the Great Ignored - young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight.

"They start businesses, operate factories, teach our children, clean the streets, grow our food and keep us healthy - keep us safe. They work hard, pay their taxes, obey the law.

"They're good, decent people - they're the people of Britain and they just want a reason to believe that anything is still possible in our country.

"This election is about giving them that reason, giving them that hope. That's the Conservatives mission - that's my mission - for the next 30 days and I can't wait to get started."

Afterwards, members of the shadow cabinet headed off to campaign in every region in the country, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, told party workers that the official start to the election campaign marked “the beginning of the end for Brown”.

He said: "I think it's great that the campaign's now going to start. People finally have a say about the big changes they want, to make this country fairer and better

"This is a choice now between the old politics of the two old parties and something new, something different, which the Liberal Democrats offer.

"This is not a two-horse race between the two old parties, Labour and the Conservatives. People have got a real choice this time and I think that's why this election is wide open. All bets are off.

"I'm really looking forward to being able to put the case for real change, for real fairness, to people up and down the country.

"I think people are just crying out for something different, and that's what we offer."

Parliament will not be formally dissolved until Monday, with MPs spending the next three days rushing legislation through the Commons during what is known as the “wash up”.

Like the other party leaders, however, Mr Brown is expected to head off on the road immediately, making a campaign visit with his wife, Sarah, in a marginal seat in Kent, where he will warn voters that they can not trust the Conservatives with the economy.

Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha will later head to Birmingham, before holding an evening rally in Leeds.

After being formally dissolved on Monday, the Commons will not meet again until May 18, far later than usual, raising speculation that Mr Brown has warned the Queen that a hung Parliament was likely.

While it is usual for a new House of Commons to meet the week following a general election, in this case, the parties will have time for a protracted period of negotiation in the event that all fail to win enough seats to form an outright majority.

Telegraph