Two leading charities: Child Poverty Action Group and the Equality Trust, have said that the major test for all three leaders is how firmly they will commit to fairness in cutting the deficit.

All the party leaders have been written to and asked to commit to a Fairness Test that would proof tax rises and spending cuts against greater inequality of incomes, assets and access to services.

Imran Hussain, head of policy, rights and advocacy for Child Poverty Action Group, said: "We need not just openness about the deficit, but fairness from the party leaders tonight.

"All the parties promised in their manifesto to end child poverty by 2020, but this promise will not be kept if tax rises and spending cuts unfairly fall on low income families.

"We cannot see millions of children in poor families cut loose with incomes frozen and essential services taken away. It would not only be morally shameful, but the errors of the 1980s prove it creates tremendous costs to the economy through more educational failure, worse health, higher disability rates, more worklessness and social conflict. The nation cannot afford this if we are to rebuild a secure economy."

Professor Richard Wilkinson, director of the Equality Trust, added: "We are asking all party leaders tonight to guarantee that their deficit reduction policies will ensure those who can afford it shoulder the main burden. We know some big companies are making billions of profits again, bonuses are back and some people are already doing very well.

"Reducing the deficit need not be seen just as a time of national hardship, but as a time of opportunity when we can narrow the record gap between rich and poor for a fairer Britain. But if the wrong policies are chosen, inequality will get worse, damaging lives, damaging the future economy and tearing at the social fabric of society."

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