Brown slams 'novice' rivals over economy

As official figures showed the economy continued to grow in the first three months of the year, the Prime Minister claimed 1.7 million more jobs would have been lost in the recession if the Tories had been in power.

The Conservatives however said that it was a "jobless recovery" which would see unemployment rise if Labour's planned increase in national insurance contributions went ahead.

After the second televised leaders' debate failed to produce a decisive winner, the two main parties returned to the familiar battleground of the economy which dominated the first week of campaigning.

Preliminary figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the economy grew by an estimated 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2010 – not as strongly as had been expected, but still avoiding a "double dip" recession.

Mr Brown said it was the wrong time to take chances as he sought to portray himself as the man with the experience to take right decisions in contrast to Tory leader David Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne.

"Our hard-earned recovery is too fragile to let these novices play with it now," he said in a campaign speech to students in Coventry. "Never were experience and judgment more called for than now."

He said that it was the Tories' lack of economic credibility, as much as Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's "TV and PR skills" that had put paid to the idea that the election was "an inevitable Tory procession to Downing Street".

Earlier yesterday, Mr Brown vowed to "fight as though my life depended upon it" to ensure a Labour victory, while Business Secretary Lord Mandelson mocked Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne as "just a couple of kids in school shorts".

Mr Osborne however said that the "disappointing" growth figures showed that Britain still had deep economic problems.

"After the longest recession we now have a jobless recovery from a weak Government," he said. What Britain doesn't need now is a jobs tax that would kill the recovery or a hung parliament that would lead to economic paralysis."

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that the recovery was "barely visible" and could still fall away.

"There is a real danger of the UK going into a double dip recession," he said.

In the wake of leaders' debate, the two main parties also traded blows over Labour campaign literature which said the Tories planned to cut benefits for elderly – claims denounced as "lies" by Mr Cameron.

Shadow Children's Secretary Michael Gove accused Labour of trying to win votes by frightening old people, and called on the party to withdraw the material.

Lord Mandelson however said that they had forced Mr Cameron to rule out the cuts after the Conservative manifesto failed to include a commitment to maintain them.

"That's exactly what the Prime Minister did – if David Cameron wants to make policy up on the hoof under pressure as he did, fine – victory for G Brown, bad night for D Cameron," he said.

Meanwhile Mr Clegg made clear that he remained unhappy at his treatment by some newspapers following his party's poll boost after the first debate.

"All I know of course is that there are plenty of people about who are worried that things are not going according to their plan," he said.

"They have come up with lots of reasons and some fairly unpleasant stuff as well to try and frighten people back into the old politics."

Tycoon urges fuel payment means test

David Cameron received the backing of clothing billionaire Sir Philip Green for his economic policy yesterday but was forced to reject one of the businessman's ideas for government efficiency measures.

The Topshop owner said the Tory leader and his team "get it" as he spoke alongside Mr Cameron at a campaign visit to the Fashion Retail Academy in London's Soho which he co-founded.

Mr Cameron had earlier said a "very senior business leader" would join those publicly backing his party's promise to find 6bn of efficiency savings to halt Labour's National Insurance rise.

While concentrating on potential economies, Sir Philip used his 25-minute address to put forward one saving he thought should be made – subjecting the winter fuel payment to means testing after discovering a millionaire acquaintance was receiving the state help to keep his house warm.

Asked about the idea, Mr Cameron said he could not accept it, insisting it was right that the cash went to all pensioners.