IT was bound to happen.

Despite all the caution and highly-controlled spaces David Cameron is campaigning in, there was going to be a gaffe.

And it duly arrived during a campaign event in Asda in Leeds with wife Sam looking on.

The pumped-up Tory leader, in his shirt sleeves, was urging people to get out and vote when he told them: "Whatever your views and whichever party you support, please make sure you do vote on May 7. This is a real career-defining," he paused, " ... country-defining election that we face now in less than a week's time."

Labour and Ukip jumped in.

David Axelrod, the former Obama campaign chief who is advising Ed Miliband, tweeted: "The PM's Freudian slip showing? In speaking to crowd, Cameron describes next week's vote as 'career defining' before subbing word 'country'."

Ukip campaign chief Patrick O'Flynn also took to social media, saying: "Cameron says GE2015 is a 'career defining' election. Nice to know who he is thinking of at this important time for the country."

Jon Ashworth, the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, also upbraided the PM, saying: "The problem with David Cameron is he always gets his priorities wrong; he puts his career before country, just as he puts a privileged few before working people."

On the stump in Bristol, Mr Miliband also could not resist seizing on the PM's words. He said: "After weeks of people saying he lacks passion, he has finally found something he is passionate about; it's his own career."

That, the Labour leader claimed, showed the difference between the Tory leader and himself. "He thinks this election is about him; it's about you the British people. He thinks it's about his CV; it's about child benefit and whether we keep child benefit for the British people..."

He added: "For me, this election is how we put working families first; for David Cameron it's how he puts himself first. That is what he has revealed...about his priority."

But Michael Gove, the Chief Whip, was determined to defend his Cabinet colleague. "It is a defining election for the whole country. The careers that matter are the careers of the two million who have got jobs now who didn't have jobs before...of the three million people we want to give apprenticeships to.

"This election will define the careers, the job prospects, the prosperity of everyone in the UK, which is why it is so important that we make sure we have a majority Conservative government instead of the instability that would follow Ed Miliband relying on the SNP vote by vote, day by day," he added.