The three main party leaders made history tonight by appearing in the first ever televised debate before a General Election.

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg prepared intensively for the encounter amid uncertainty over how it would play out with voters.

The three leaders hoped the event would give them a lift in a campaign that has so far failed to capture the public imagination.

Under agreed rules, each leader was given one minute to make an opening statement and one-and-a-half minutes to sum up at the end of the show.

Half of each debate was taken up by discussion and the leaders faced questions asked by the studio audience and sent in by email.

Alastair Stewart, who is hosted the ITV debate - was not able to press evasive politicians for answers, as his role was limited to moderate' and ensure the rules were observed.

What did you think of the debate and who do you think will win the General Election? Post your comments below.