Cameron in 'power to people' vow

Mr Cameron said it was "we, the people" who could make Britain a better place and insisted his transformation of the Conservative Party was for real as he launched a manifesto which he claimed was unashamedly radical.

Promising to put responsibility "at the heart" of national life, he even pitched himself as a 21st century John F Kennedy, recalling the former US President's words: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

The manifesto launch came as Labour and the Liberal Democrats stepped up campaigning in Yorkshire, Prime Minister Gordon Brown visiting Sheffield alongside Chancellor Alistair Darling, who then headed to Morrisons in Rothwell. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who will launch his party manifesto today, was in Bradford with his Treasury spokesman Vince Cable.

Mr Cameron pledged to give the public a bigger say in the running of schools, hospitals and police, reform the welfare system to get people back to work, get the economy going again and clean up Westminster.

Villages which want more affordable homes would be able to effectively grant themselves planning permission, public sector workers could take ownership of their services through co-operatives and residents would be able to veto high council tax increases.

A new community "right to buy" scheme would enable people to protect community services that are under threat, like post offices or pubs, and directly elected police chiefs would set forces' budgets and strategy.

Rather than issuing a traditional manifesto, yesterday's 130-page hard-backed document was entitled An Invitation to Join the Government of Britain as Mr Cameron called on voters get "fired up and inspired" to make a change.

Labour claimed the manifesto was an "agenda for abandonment" and the Liberal Democrats said the Tories could not be trusted.

LORD SUGAR GIVES LABOUR 400,000

Enterprise tsar Lord Sugar has donated 400,000 to the Labour Party.

The Labour peer said he gave the boost to the party's coffers to assist with its running costs during the General Election campaign.

Lord Sugar, star of BBC show The Apprentice, gave 200,000 in 2001 and 150,000 in 1997.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown is closing the gap on the Conservatives according to an opinion poll.

The Populus poll for The Times gives the Tories a lead of just three points over Labour. It put the Tories on 36 per cent – a fall of three points over the past week – while Labour is up one on 33 per cent. The Lib- Dems are unchanged on 21 per cent.