David Cameron yesterday made a last-ditch plea for Ukip supporters to ‘ come home ’ to the Conservatives . In a direct appeal to voters who have shifted allegiance to Nigel Farage ’ s party , the Prime Minister vowed to ‘ do more ’ to respond to concerns about immigration . With the election on a knife-edge , he warned that it is ‘ not the time to send a message or make a protest ’ . Doing so could put the economic recovery at risk by allowing Labour back into power , said the Tory leader . David Cameron tonight issued an impassioned plea for Ukip voters to 'come back home ' to the Conservatives . Mr Cameron also conceded that he understood the ‘ frustrations ’ of Ukip voters . It is a significant peace offering by the Prime Minister , who once dismissed Ukip as ‘ fruitcakes , loonies and closet racists ’ . Speaking in Bristol yesterday , he said to those who had left the Tory fold : ‘ Look , we ’ ve heard the message loud and clear about the things you want to see changed and we ’ ll change those things . Come with us , come back home to us , rather than risk all of this good work being undone. ’ The latest polls have put the Conservatives and Labour virtually neck and neck . A YouGov poll on Sunday had the Tories on 34 per cent , one point ahead of Labour , and Ukip in third place with 13 per cent of votes . A poll in Tory-held South Thanet – where Mr Farage is running for Parliament – shows him in second place , and pollsters now believe Ukip will win just a handful of seats . David Cameron 's hopes of staying in Number 10 have been buoyed by opinion polls showing a steady squeeze in support for Ukip . As the election gets closer , voters appear to be drifting away from Nigel Farage 's party . After hitting 18 per cent in the polls at the European elections last year , Ukip has seen its support drop by around five points . The Tories , meanwhile , have jumped ahead of Labour . The most recent surveys have given Mr Cameron 's party a slender one-point lead - with around 34 per cent of the vote . Mr Farage is also facing a fight to be elected in Thanet South . The Ukip leader has seen a comfortable lead slip and is now trailing in second place behind the Tories . A leaked poll showed the Tories in the lead in the Kent constituency Mr Farage is fighting with 31 per cent support . Mr Farage is on 30 per cent , with Labour in third on 29 per cent . The Prime Minister was joined by George Osborne for a speech at the Bristol and Bath Science Park this evening . But there are deep concerns that support for Ukip , fuelled by the Conservatives ’ failure to meet their pledge to cut immigration to ‘ tens of thousands ’ , could swing enough votes in other seats to hand Ed Miliband a victory . Mr Cameron , who also promised a referendum on Europe , said the Government had turned around the economy and cut taxes for working people . Mr Cameron has previously accused Nigel Farage supporters of being 'fruitcakes and loonies ' ‘ To keep generating the jobs and the growth our country needs , come back to us , come back home to us , ’ he pleaded . The PM warned those who voted for ‘ a minor party ’ risked ending up with Ed Miliband propped up by the SNP ’ s Nicola Sturgeon , ‘ driving him into even more spending , welfare unlimited , debt bloat ’ . Mr Cameron said the prospect of a minority Labour government held in power by the SNP was a ‘ nightmare scenario ’ and said the Conservatives ‘ need ’ Ukip support . ‘ We are 23 seats short from an overall majority , ’ he said . ‘ We can provide that clear , decisive and frankly more accountable government that a majority Conservative government would deliver . We need those 23 seats. ’ Mr Farage immediately attacked the Prime Minister and said he would not win Ukip voters back . He said former Labour and Tory voters have found a ‘ more authentic home ’ where they do not get ‘ roundly abused by their hosts ’ . Meanwhile , the ‘ defection ’ of a Tory parliamentary candidate to Ukip descended into farce yesterday when it was revealed he had already been dropped by the Conservatives . Nigel Farage hailed the move by Mike Whitehead as a ‘ hammer blow ’ for the PM . But the Tories said the candidate for Hull West and Hessle had been ‘ sacked ’ for threatening to stand as an independent .
PM said he understood why Tory supporters had backed Nigel Farage . He pledged to do more on immigration and Europe if re-elected on yesterday . Mr Cameron has previously described Ukip supporters as 'fruitcakes ' Made the plea at campaign rally in which he warned over Labour tax plans .