Key issues in election campaign

The economy

The election boils down to a simple question: Did the Conservative-led government chart the right course through the aftermath of the economic crisis - the worst recession since the 1930s?

Prime Minister David Cameron has focused on headline numbers after five years of budget cuts designed to shrink the deficit and bolster growth. Inflation is down, employment is up and the economy is growing at one of the fastest rates among large industrialized nations.