Leaders' Day Of High Visibility Campaigning

David Cameron attempted to capitalise on higher than expected economic growth as his promise to create 1,000 new jobs a day in the next parliament came under attack.

On day two of campaigning, Mr Cameron pledged to create another two million jobs over the next five years, describing the Conservatives as the "jobs party".

It sparked a fierce backlash from unions who said the target was unrealistic because of the public sector cuts planned by the Tories.

They said the 1,000 jobs a day created under the coalition were mainly low-skilled, low-paid and zero-hours contracts.

As they hit the campaign trail in earnest, it was a hard hat, high viz jacket photo opportunity day for Mr Cameron and the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

The Lib Dem leader visited an under construction health campus in Watford, while Mr Cameron was at a site in London where a Sainsbury’s digital lab is being built.

Nigel Farage was at the White Cliffs of Dover unveiling a new UKIP poster on immigration.

It comes on a day when:

:: Mr Farage promised to put party leaders in the spotlight over immigration during the seven-way televised debate on Thursday as he attacked Mr Cameron over targets

:: Office for National Statistics figures showed the economy had grown faster than had been predicted

:: Mr Cameron came under pressure to say where he would find the £12bn cuts in welfare after saying Britain needed to take the "medicine" and make reductions

:: Labour announced it would reverse a corporation tax cut in order to reduce rates for as many as 1.5 million small businesses

:: The order for the seven-way debate was released - the Green party’s Natalie Bennett going first and Mr Cameron giving the closing address

:: Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood unveiled the party manifesto promising a living wage and vowing to fight for Wales to get the same powers as Scotland

:: Mr Clegg pledged £3.5bn extra funding for mental health over the next five years as he criticised senior party figures for "bickering"

:: Joey Essex from TOWIE told Mr Clegg he thought the party was called Liberal Democats, to the delight of Twitter users - and their cats

:: Mr Cameron disclosed in a Heat magazine interview that he was scared of rats after finding one in his home, saying: "I'd like to say I stripped down to the waist and wrestled it and threw it out."

Mr Cameron argued an additional two million jobs was a feasible target thanks to government assistance for business, competitive tax rates, a parliament-long campaign against red tape, plus investment in infrastructure.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "It is hard to see how the Conservatives will create an additional two million jobs over the course of the next parliament.

"Imposing savage spending cuts on the public sector will suck demand out of the economy and make hundreds of thousands of public servants redundant."

John Hannett, leader of the shopworkers' union Usdaw, said: "Over the last five years the labour market has been skewed by zero-hours contracts, exploitative agency working, bogus self-employment, short hours and under-employment."

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here.

It came as George Osborne hailed the news that GDP had grown by 2.8% in 2014 as proof that the "long-term economic plan" was working.

However, Ed Balls said: "This is the slowest recovery for 100 years and the Tories have failed to deliver the sustained rises in living standards they promised."

Mr Balls was today announcing Labour’s plans to reverse the corporation tax cuts implemented by the coalition.

His plans were criticised by Mr Cameron as a "crazy thing to do when the economy is growing".

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Thursday on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.