General election campaign begins as parliament dissolved

Parliament has been dissolved, signalling the beginning of the general election campaign, which will last just under six weeks.

David Cameron met the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the dissolution of Parliament and returned to Number 10 where he urged voters to keep him in power to safeguard the economic recovery.

But in a flavour of what is to come over the next 38 days, Labour accused Mr Cameron of destabilising British industry with his policy of a referendum on membership of the European Union.

James Landale reports.