GE15: Parties Target Strengths

Scotland's political parties are pushing their key messages on day two of official campaigning ahead of the General Election.

The SNP's deputy leader Stewart Hosie will outline anti-austerity plans in Kirkcaldy alongside local candidate Roger Mullin.

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Hosie said: “Westminster’s obsession with austerity is holding back Scotland’s economy and damaging communities across the country – pushing 100,000 more children in Scotland into poverty and seeing a 400 per cent increase in people forced to rely on foodbanks.

"Austerity is failing on every level and people are crying out for a real alternative – which is why more and more people are putting their faith in the SNP.”

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy will pledge will visit a distribution centre for Edinburgh foodbanks, to outline details on their plan for a £175M anti-poverty fund.

Shadow Finance Secretary Jackie Baillie said their's is the only anti-austerity party in Scotland.

She said: "We need to do everything we can to stop the Tories being the largest party across the UK.

"A vote for any party other than Labour risks the Tories being the biggest party and David Cameron returning to Downing Street by accident. That would be a disaster for Scotland but it’s what could happen if Scots don’t vote for Labour.”

Liberal Democrat Scotland spokesperson Alistair Carmichael will say they are the only party with a credible plan to boost NHS spending in Scotland as he launches their North East campaign tour in Gordon with local candidate Christine Jardine.

Speaking ahead of the North East tour launch, Mr Carmichael said that the General Election is a golden opportunity to secure better healthcare with Lib Dem plans to fully fund the NHS across the UK.

Mr Carmichael said:“It is because we have a strong and growing economy that we can look to invest more money in public services like our NHS. Liberal Democrats helped deliver this economic growth and the general election presents us with a golden opportunity to secure better healthcare for Scotland.

"Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to a costed and credible plan to fund the NHS. Our plan would deliver an £800m boost to the Scottish NHS.”

The Scottish Conservatives will reveal new figures in relation to the Scottish Government’s changes to stamp duty.

The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) will come into effect tomorrow, and means people buying homes above certain prices will have to pay more.

Statistics obtained by the Tories will high highlight what they call the true impact of those changes to homebuyers across the country.

Leader, Ruth Davidson said: "We've got millions more people back into a job that were not employed before, we've raised the minimum wage higher than inflation, we've taken the lowest paid people out of tax so you feel that pound in your pocket a bit more and we're making sure the recovery continues.

"This is all about jobs and opportunities for our young people coming out of school, university or college and also for people who want to get back on the jobs ladder."