Brown set to announce May 6 election

Gordon Brown will today call the UK general election for May 6 – heralding the start of what is set to be the hardest-fought campaign for many years.

The British prime minister will seek an audience with the Queen this morning, before returning to Downing Street to announce that the election campaign is under way.

Parliament will be dissolved next Monday. But Mr Brown, accompanied by his wife Sarah, will immediately embark on a “GB On The Road” campaign based around direct contact with voters.

Features adopted from Barack Obama’s successful run for the White House will include meeting workers in their canteens and having personal chats with people in their homes.

Heading initially to crucial seats in the South-East, the Prime Minister’s principal theme will be to warn voters that they cannot trust the Conservatives with the economy.

Tory leader David Cameron will say today that he is fighting to give hope to “the Great Ignored”.

With the election result more uncertain at this point in the campaign than at any election since 1992, the parties are digging in for what is likely to be a bitter slog to the end.

While two polls today gave the Tories a 10-point lead – the kind of advantage they need to form a majority government – another suggested Labour were just four points behind.

That would almost certainly result in a hung parliament and may even give Labour the most seats. Labour aides said last night that they were fighting to win.

In a foretaste of Mr Brown’s campaign themes, he said last night: “The people of this country have fought too hard to get Britain on the road to recovery to allow anybody to take us back on the road to recession.”

Labour’s focus as they seek an historic fourth successive term of office will be on securing the economic recovery, protecting frontline services while halving the deficit and renewing the country’s politics.

But Mr Brown’s central message will be that he is committed to improving voters’ living standards.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Mr Brown said this election was “not about small issues – it is the big choice”.

Arguing that Labour has “come so far in taking Britain out of recession”, he urged the public to stick with him to see the job through.

As well as the prime minister’s personal touch campaign, Labour will be seeking to harness the full potential of social networking sites and email, learnt from Mr Obama’s team.

After negative campaigning by the Tories about Mr Brown, Labour will be trying to persuade voters of what his aides call his “granite-like resilience, authenticity and vision for the future”.

Tory leader David Cameron will be portrayed as “plastic PR and slogans”.

After the prime minister’s announcement, Mr Cameron will make a speech in London in which he will say the Tories are fighting for “the Great Ignored”.

Joined by his pregnant wife Samantha, who is taking an increasingly important role in the Conservative campaign, the Tory leader will say that he wants to give hope to “decent people”.

“We’re fighting this election for the Great Ignored – young, old, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight,” he will say.

“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.”

Tory sources said 15 members of the shadow cabinet would be heading out into the country, with visits lined up for every region, including Scotland, Wales and the North.

Responding to the impending election announcement Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “Today is the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown.”

He said the prime minister was personally responsible for the “biggest mistakes of the last 13 years” – the banking crash and the recession, the “illegal” invasion of Iraq, the “corruption and rottenness” in politics and the UK becoming “more unequal and unfair”.

“In Brown’s Britain it is harder than ever to get on,” he said.

“Now is the time for all those people who want real change and real fairness in Britain to choose something different and turn to the Liberal Democrats.”

Mr Clegg will address party staff this morning before getting his own campaigning under way.

Yesterday he unveiled one of his party’s battle buses for the election.