Last week, Better Banking wrote an open letter to all party leaders, signed by over 500 organisations and sector leaders, asking them to tackle poverty by ensuring fairer banking services for all.

Since then, over one in 10 Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PCCs) have also lent their support to the campaign, including Chris Huhne (Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesperson) Chris Leslie (director of the New Local Government Network and former Labour Minister for Constitutional Affairs and) and Caroline Lucas (leader of the Green Party).

Banking reform has been pushed into the spotlight once more, following Gordon Brown's unexpected success at what has been dubbed the 'Fourth debate' on Monday.

The event, held in the Central Methodist Church by Citizens UK, gave each party leader a chance to speak about how they would meet the 6 demands set out in the Citizens UK Manifesto, which represents the views of 300,000 Citizens members.

The third demand is to introduce a legal cap on the amount that can be charged for credit, and to ensure that local communities have access to affordable credit.

Brown was the only party leader to commit to a cap on credit lending rates, amid cheers and whoops from the audience.

Cameron and Clegg have both committed to capping the interest charged on store and credit cards.

But, say Better Banking, if interest rates on credit and store cards are deemed extortionate, then the rates charged by home credit companies and payday lenders are much worse: at up to 9,000 % APR.

Around 6 million people cannot access mainstream credit, and so have no other option than to borrow at these incredibly high rates, plunging them into inescapable cycles of debt.

Cameron claimed that capping pay day and home credit lending rates would render these companies out of business, leaving borrowers at the hands of dangerous loan sharks.

"But think about it logically" said Better Banking spokesperson Damon Gibbons.

"Why would caps cause lenders to withdraw from the market? They are making an enormous level of profit at the moment - in excess of what they would make if the market was properly competitive. Last year Provident made nearly £130 million in profit. It isn't going to stop trading if next year it only makes £80 million."

Better Banking is also pushing for measures to ensure fairer and more responsible lending is available to those that those who are currently borrowing from high interest lenders.

They propose a UK version of the US Community Reinvestment Act, which rewards mainstream banks for investing in communities, often by supporting Community Development Finance Institutions and Credit Unions.

The campaign is calling on the public to pledge their support by signing up at www.betterbanking.org.uk

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