Gordon Brown in Oxford

20 April 2010, 12:33 | Updated: 29 April 2010, 06:06

Gordon Brown's been in Oxford as campaigning continues ahead of the General Election.

The Labour leader called in at the Mini Plant in Cowley on Tuesday 20 April 2010 and spoke to workers.

The factory is in the Oxford East constituency, which Labour are keen to hold on to.  Andrew Smith won the seat for the party by just 963 votes in 2005.

During the visit, Mr Brown made a commitment to manufacturing.  Unveiling a new "plan for growth", he and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson promised Labour would back research and investment by firms as part of a new "industrial activism".

They announced an extension on tax relief on investments of up to £100,000 would remain for the whole of the next parliament under Labour.

"We have been fighting for the future of our economy, a future where we can come out of the recession and have strong growth," he told staff after a tour of the Mini production line.

"And I don't want anything to happen that puts that recovery at risk.

"We are fighting for growth, we are fighting for jobs, we are fighting for apprenticeships, we are fighting for the skills of the future and I will continue to keep fighting."

The Lib Dems - who came second in Oxford East in the 2005 General Election - want to claim the seat.  A planned visit by the leader Nick Clegg on Tuesday 20 April 2010 had to be cancelled, but more high profile visits are expected in the area ahead of the 6 May poll.

The full list of candidates standing in the Oxford East constituency are as follows:

Edward Argar - Conservative
Roger Martin Crawford - Equal Parenting Alliance
Sushila Dhall - Green
Julia Margaret Gasper - UK Independence Party
Steve Goddard - Liberal Democrats
David Andrew O'Sullivan - Socialist Equality Party
Andrew Smith - Labour