The leaders of Britian’s seven main political parties faced off tonight in the only full-scale TV debate of the general election campaign.
Prime Minister David Cameron urged voters to allow the Conservatives to finish their "long-term economic plan" while Labour leader Ed Miliband argued for change.
The Conservative and Labour leaders set out their visions of the future alongside Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Ukip's Nigel Farage, Green leader Natalie Bennett, the Scottish National Party's Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.
Mr Clegg made clear that - in what has been the tightest election for a generation - he expects a hung parliament, telling voters that they will have to decide “who will work best with whom” in coalition and promising to “finish the job of balancing the books and doing so fairly”.
Mr Farage said that he was the only leader who could offer to cut immigration by closing the “open door” resulting from EU membership, telling the 200-strong studio audience: “I represent Ukip and we believe in Britain and we believe this country should be a self-governing nation. We believe we are good enough to do that.”
The Greens would "put principles and values first" and offer hope not fear, said Ms Bennett.
In a message to the rest of the UK, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would "stand up for Scotland" in Westminster, but wanted to offer "friendship" to the peoples of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
And Ms Wood said Plaid would offer “hope for a decent future” for Welsh communities.
Mr Cameron tried to pitch the election as a straight choice between himself and Mr Miliband. "The choice at this election is sticking with a plan that is working or going back to the debt, taxes, borrowing and spending that got us in this mess in the first place. I say let's not go back to square one. Britain can do so much better than that."
But Mr Miliband accused the PM of wanting to talk about the past rather than the future, and said: “Some people will tell you that this is as good as it gets for Britain. I say Britain can do so much better than it has done over the last five years.”
After Mr Cameron objected to broadcasters’ plans for three TV debates during the five-and-a-half week campaign, the ITV show marked the only occasion before May 7th when the Tory and Labour leaders will face each other.