Cameron attacks Brown over poverty

The Tory leader pledged to help the "have-nots" as well as the "haves" as he made an audacious raid into traditional Labour territory.

He insisted radical change in social security was needed to encourage "aspiration", and lambasted the Prime Minister for creating a "clunking tax credit system" that punished poor families.

The Conservatives are seeking to capitalise on a remarkable turnaround in fortunes since the Prime Minister announced 10 days ago that he had decided against calling a snap general election.

From trailing heavily in the polls before the Tory conference, the party is now showing a narrow lead over Labour.

Mr Cameron told an audience in north London: "Aspiration is not about class, background or position. Everybody dreams of rising up in the world, and everybody dreams of giving their children a better life.

"I don't care where you started out in life; my mission is to help you rise higher. But I do care about this: the fact that for millions of our fellow citizens today, rising higher is not a question of a better job, a better home or a better holiday.

"It is a question of ever having a job, ever owning a home or ever having a holiday."

Mr Cameron said Labour had undermined families by punishing couples who stayed together, and introduced bureaucracy which prevented voluntary groups from helping to combat poverty.

The "clunking" tax credit system had also created misery among the poorest and wasted billions in fraud, error, and overpayments.