Election 2010: the campaign in pictures

It was no surprise when Gordon Brown stepped out in front of 10 Downing St, flanked by his cabinet, to announce the general election on 6 May.

In the month long campaign there will be a vast array of photo ops, politicians kissing babies and election rallies. Here, we follow the campaign in pictures and look at some of the key stories and issues from what could be the tightest general election in Britain in almost 20 years.

Click here or on the image to launch the gallery.