Labour To Unveil Key General Election Pledges

Ed Miliband is due to launch Labour's General Election pledge card, containing promises on the economy, living standards, the NHS, immigration and tuition fees.

The Labour leader will unveil the list of vows, which the party hopes will simplify its message to voters, at a pre-election rally of more than 1,500 party members and supporters in Birmingham.

The five pledges are:

:: Economy - Labour claims it will balance the books and cut the deficit every year.

:: Living standards - Boosted by Mr Miliband’s pledge to freeze energy bills until 2017.

:: NHS - Labour says it will recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs.

:: Immigration - People who come to the UK will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years.

:: Young people - Tuition fees cut to £6,000, more apprenticeships and smaller class sizes.

Launching the card, Mr Miliband will say the choice at this election is not simply between parties and leaders, but between different visions of our country.

"The choice is between the pessimists or the optimists, fear or hope, the few or the many, the good of some or the good of all," he is expected to say.

"Today I urge the British people to choose optimism, to choose a country for the many, to choose the good of all, to choose hope - and to recognise that when working people succeed, nothing can stop us as a country."

On the economy, the Labour leader will say: "The Tories promised to eliminate the deficit and they have failed. They've made the cuts but they haven't cut the deficit as they promised."

And on living standards, he will say: "We will stand up to the big energy companies."

On the immigration pledge, a response to pressure from Labour MPs who fear damage by UKIP, Mr Miliband will say: "We will not countenance systems and rules that damage the interests of all those people working hard and trying to get on.

"That's why we say we will have fair rules on immigration. People will have to wait for at least two years until they can claim benefits."

It is not the first time Labour has unveiled a pledge card. Tony Blair and John Prescott did so successfully in 1997, winning a landslide general election victory.

But the pledges were very different in 1997. First was cutting class sizes, second was quicker punishment for young offenders, third was cutting NHS waiting lists, while getting under-25s off benefit and no rise in income tax made up the other two.

Responding to Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said: "The real choice at this election is between the stability and strong leadership of David Cameron and the Conservatives working to a long-term economic plan, securing a better future for Britain.

"Or Ed Miliband carried into Downing Street in the pocket of Alex Salmond and the SNP - meaning more borrowing, more debt, higher taxes and weaker defences."