PRIME Minister David Cameron visited Frinton's Tendring Technology College to unveil his plan for boosting the economy in the East of England.

Mr Cameron arrived at the academy’s Frinton campus, in Rochford Way, on Friday afternoon to outline the Conservatives' ‘plan for working people’ alongside Clacton candidate Giles Watling.

The Tory leader praised the 'outstanding' academy's principal Caroline Haynes before launching the plan, which was presented as a credit card sized pledgecard.

The plan includes a vow to create 250,000 more jobs and cut income tax for 2.8million people in the region, as well as the creation of 270,000 apprenticeships and 100,000 new 'good' primary school places.

In a speech to party supporters, students and the press, Mr Cameron said: “Five years ago, the future for the East of England looked uncertain. The ports in this region has fallen quiet, farmers’ orders were drying up, restaurants and hotels’ takings had plummeted.

“Working people were bearing the brunt of a Labour government that had taken our economy to the brink.

“It wasn’t just that the economy had been crashed – it was that this region had been neglected.

“East Anglia is just 80 miles from London, but Labour treated it like it was 8,000 miles. They let the roads and the railways here become amongst the worst in the country.

“What you have seen in the last five years is an investment in infrastructure, an investment in the things the East of England needs and you have seen a massive growth in the number of people in work, the number of business operating – the East of England is on its way back.”

He added: “We have turned a Labour crash into a Conservative comeback.

“A strong economy is not just about dry statistics, it’s about making life better for you. There are 200,000 more people in work in this region since we came to office. That means 55 per cent fewer people claiming unemployment benefit.”

“We have cut income taxes for 2.6million people in this region, saving them typically £825 a year. Yes, making life better for people in the East of England. Only because we fixed our economy – only with the Conservatives.

“We want to grow the East of England economy to create 250,000 new jobs. We have done 200,000 in the last Parliament. We will do 250,000 more in the next one.”

The plan also included proposals to offer working families 30 hours of free childcare a week, as well as supporting home ownership with the Help to Buy scheme.

Mr Cameron added that the alternative to a Conservative government would be a Labour government backed by the Scottish National Party (SNP).

"If that happens they would have Britain over a barrel,” he said. “All our hard work to fix our economy – ruined. All our plans to make lives better for families – over.

“Instead you would have a party involved in the governing of the UK that doesn’t even want to be in the United Kingdom. And again it would be working people in the East of England who would take the hit.

“Do you really think road and rail in the East are really on the to do list of the SNP?”

He added that voting for Ukip could also put Labour and the SNP in power.

“The Ukip vote could be the thing that puts Ed Miliband and the SNP in Government,” he said.

“And there would be a cruel irony that voting for something lands you with the complete opposite. Voters putting the cross in the Ukip box and ending up with a high tax, high debt Ed Miliband/SNP coalition, open-door immigration, a bloated welfare system and weaker defences.

“They would wreck our recovery and take us back to square one – and we in this party must not let that happen."

Mr Watling said: "It was a great boost for my campaign to have the Prime Minister here.

"He promised he would come back following the by-election and he kept that promise - just like he will keep his promises to the East of England."

Read the full story on David Cameron's visit - including our interview - in next week's Clacton and Frinton Gazette.

For a full list of candidates standing for the Clacton seat, click here.