Scotland’s political leaders have launched their election campaigns with just six weeks to go until the country heads to the polls.
As parliament dissolved, the SNP, Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all made a bid to hit the ground running before May 5.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon gathered with her candidates at Dynamic Earth, while Labour’s Kezia Dugdale took to the streets of Edinburgh to meet voters.
Conservative leader Ruth Davidson addressed a gathering of party activists near Princes Street, while Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said his party “will grow” at this election.
The Greens are launching their campaign in Glasgow today.
With just over six weeks to go until the election, polling gives the SNP incumbents a substantial lead over their rivals, while Scottish Labour and the Conservatives appear locked in a battle for second place.
Ms Sturgeon said: “The SNP are going to campaign harder than we have ever campaigned before.
“We seek to be the government of all of Scotland – and that is why we will be out in force in every corner of Scotland.
“The current opinion polls should make us in the SNP feel both humbled and motivated.
“Humbled that, after nine years in office, the people of Scotland continue to put their trust in the SNP.
“And motivated that, if we work hard to repay that trust, we can be rewarded with another term in office.”
Party leaders have repeatedly clashed in Holyrood over the SNP’s record in government, the use of tax and spend powers and the future of the Union.
But Ms Dugdale said the election campaign “must be about the future”.
She added: “Today isn’t a day to re-run the old arguments of the past. The people of Scotland don’t want to go through all that again.
“This is the election where we can choose to end austerity in Scotland.”
Ms Davidson said: “We are ready, more than ready, to take on this over-mighty SNP government and provide the strong official opposition that Scotland needs.
“And it needs that strong opposition more than ever.”
Mr Rennie said his party were approaching the election with “a big, bold, liberal offer”.
He added: “Our positive and progressive proposals will have a transformational effect on society. Scotland needs more liberals at Holyrood and we will grow at this election.”
