Election 2015: Small businesses urge Britain to let Conservatives 'finish what they started'

More than 5,000 small businesses have signed a letter backing the Tories to "finish what they started".

It will be seen as a major boost for David Cameron's re-election drive as the statement, which was published in the Daily Telegraph, claims that it would "be far too risky" to change leadership now as the Conservatives continue to commit to creating more jobs in the build-up, and aftermath, of the general election.

The 5,025 firms that signed the document employ about 100,000 people, according to the Telegraph, and claim to have made "1,000 jobs a day since 2010".

The letter reads: "This Conservative-led Government has been genuinely committed to making sure Britain is open for business.

"They've managed to get the economy moving again by tackling the deficit, helping to keep interest rates low and inflation down.

"We've been helped by their steps to lower taxes, reduce red tape, simplify employment law and get the banks lending.

"We would like to see David Cameron and George Osborne given the chance to finish what they have started.

"A change now would be far too risky and would undo all the good work of the last five years."

The letter comes as the David Cameron-led Conservative party launches its small business manifesto, which includes plans to help create 600,000 new start-ups a year until 2020.

The Prime Minister will repeat promises to keep taxes low and treble the amount of start-up loan approvals while praising small businesses in a speech that is to be delivered in North London, according to the BBC.

"We know it's the people who take risks, start out on their own, wake up at the crack of dawn to open up their shop and do their books on the kitchen table at midnight who create jobs," Cameron will say.

"We are the party of the grafters and the roofers and the retailers and the plumbers. We get them, we respect them, we understand them, we back them."