David Cameron: Tories promise to create two million extra jobs

A Conservative government will create two million additional jobs over the next five years, David Cameron will promise.

The Prime Minister is set to announce the general election manifesto pledge later today, with just 37 days to go before the 7 May vote.

Cameron asked the Queen to dissolve parliament yesterday, officially kicking off the campaign for Number 10.

The Tory leader is expected to urge the electorate to vote for his party to keep the UK's economic recovery on track.

"Five years on, by working through our long-term plan, look at what we have achieved together: 1.9 million more jobs; more people in work in our country than ever before; more jobs created here than the rest of Europe combined; more people with the security of a regular pay-packet, providing for themselves and their families," Cameron will say.

"All this is at risk in just over a month's time. The choice is simple: We go back to square one, and the days of big unemployment. Or vote Conservative and finish what we have begun: With two million more jobs in the next five years."

Cameron has attempted to paint the election as a straight fight between himself and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

"The next prime minister walking through that door will be me or Ed Miliband," he said.

"Ed Miliband pays lip service to working people while planning to hike taxes and increase debt. After five years of effort and sacrifice, Britain is on the right track.

"This election is about moving forward and as prime minister here at Number 10 that is what I will deliver."

The jobs pledge comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the UK's unemployment rate fell to 5.7% in the three months to January.

The research body also explained that there were a record amount of people in work (30.9 million), 617,000 more than last year.

But Labour said Cameron's pledge will be "re-heated" and "mean little to working people".

"Re-heated and empty announcements from David Cameron will mean little to working people whose wages are on average £1600 a year lower," said Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary.

"The government's failure on low pay has seen a 44% rise in the number of people paid less than a living wage under Cameron.

"It's time for the Tories to come clean about how working families, children and disabled people will be hit by their secret plan to cut £12bn from the social security budget.

The latest poll from YouGov, which was conducted on 30 March, showed that Labour and the Tories are neck-and-neck (35% vs 35%), with Ukip on 12%, the Liberal Democrats on 8% and the Greens on 5%.