Hoyrood 2016: Parties hit the streets on campaign trail

Scottish party leaders have been out and about pushing their election message to voters on the street.

Scottish Labour's Kezia Dugdale was visiting Rutherglen, where she issued a call to tax the rich.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was in Glasgow claiming the SNP was the best party to govern Scotland.

LibDem Willie Rennie said education should be at the heart of government policy, while Tory Ruth Davidson called for a south of Scotland jobs agency.

'Kids not cuts'

Ms Dugdale said Labour's campaign priorities centred around tax and spending.

She said: "Those priorities are simple - tax the rich, invest in education to grow the economy and stop the cuts to public services.

"Labour will use the powers to ask the top 1% to pay the most and stop the Scottish Parliament acting as a conveyor belt for Tory austerity."

'Clear choice'

Nicola Sturgeon was on the streets in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow, where she argued the SNP was best placed to "stand up for Scotland".

The SNP leader said: "I want to persuade people I'm the best person to lead Scotland forward and the SNP is the best party to govern our country.

"That's what I'm focussed on and I think that choice is going to become ever more clear in the last two-and-a-bit weeks of this campaign."

'Transformational investment'

Mr Rennie, the LibDem leader, was in Bridge of Allan, challenging his opponents to match his party's vision for a better education.

He said: "We've set out clear and positive plans for a transformational investment in education of half a billion pounds a year.

"Our penny for education would make such a difference. It means more kids who are struggling (would be) getting the help they need to get on in life."

'Jobs and opportunities'

In Hawick, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson put forward the idea of a south of Scotland enterprise agency.

Ms Davidson said: "We know there are issues right across the south of Scotland - we've seen them here in Hawick with the knitwear industry - about making sure we've got jobs and opportunities for people.

"A dedicated agency in the Highlands and Islands has done very well to develop the jobs and opportunities of the future, we think the south of Scotland should get a dedicated agency too."