I'm fighting for everyone in the UK, says Cameron
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Your support makes all the difference.David Cameron insisted today he was not fighting against Gordon Brown or Nick Clegg in Thursday's General Election but fighting for all the people of the UK.
The Conservative leader was speaking during a ground-breaking election visit to Northern Ireland which was almost halted because of the danger to aviation posed by fresh clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland.
Mr Cameron, who has forged an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), used his visit to back candidates standing on a joint Conservative/UUP ticket and to reassure Northern Irish voters that a Tory administration would not target the province for cuts.
In his address to a rally in County Down he also made clear his determination as polling day approaches to rise above the political scrapping of the campaign and to present himself as a unifying figure who can represent the whole nation, regardless of race, gender or sexuality and regardless of whether they are part of a group - such as the poor or public sector workers - who have traditionally backed Labour.
"Let me tell you what we're fighting for," the Tory leader said.
"We're not fighting Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg in this election.
"We're fighting poverty, we're fighting disadvantage, we're fighting blocked opportunity in our United Kingdom.
"We're fighting for people.
"We're fighting for the couples who can't afford to own their own home. We're fighting for all the children growing up in homes where nobody works and sometimes haven't worked for generations. We're fighting for all those who are held back because of their race, their gender or their sexuality.
"We're fighting for all the businesses trying to stay afloat, trying to get on. We're fighting for all the parents who can't find a good school for their kids. We're fighting for all those who are trying to make ends meet, month after month.
"We're fighting for the nurse or the doctor or the police officer covered in red tape who just wants to do their job. We're fighting for the pensioner who's saved and doesn't want to have to sell his home to pay for his care.
"We're fighting for everyone who just wants to do the right thing, to do the best for their families and to make a difference to their country.
"That's why we're fighting for change. That's why we're fighting to win."
Mr Cameron's decision to campaign in Northern Ireland is highly unusual for the leader of one of the mainstream parties, which have previously left the fight for votes there largely to the provincial parties.
His flying visit forms part of a 36-hour non-stop whirlwind tour taking in all corners of the UK, which will see him campaign through the night, meeting bakers, fishermen and others who work through the early hours.
Telling the assembled supporters how glad he was to be in Northern Ireland, Mr Cameron joked: "The helicopter broke down, I had to find an aeroplane, I had to find an airport, I had to fly through a volcanic ash cloud, but I was not going to miss this for the world.''
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