Scottish Party Leaders In TV Debate

The leaders of the four main political parties in Scotland will go head to head on television today to try to win votes in the forthcoming General Election.

Scotland Debates will feature SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, and be broadcast live from The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on STV.

It will follow a day of campaigning that will also see Prime Minister David Cameron come to Scotland as he visits all four nations of the UK in a day.

Before the debate, Ms Sturgeon will set out plans to combat child poverty in Scotland and across the UK during a visit to a community centre in Livingston.

She said: A strong team of SNP MPs will be a powerful voice for Scotland at Westminster - demanding action to tackle the scourge of child poverty, because no child should have to grow up in poverty in this rich country.''

Speaking ahead of his tour, Mr Cameron said: Today, I am travelling to all four nations of our United Kingdom, to all four corners of our country, with one simple message: we have one month to save our economy from the disaster of an Ed Miliband government.

We have one month to save Britain from his mountain of debt; one month to save Britain from his punitive taxes; one month to save Britain, and British families, from his anti-business and anti-aspiration agenda.''

Mr Murphy will meet young activists in Glasgow.

He said: I am looking forward to the debate. It is a chance for Labour to share with the Scottish people our better plan for a fairer Scotland.

We have a tough fight ahead of us, everyone in Scotland knows that. If those polls were repeated at the election the SNP would win seats and David Cameron would be delighted.''

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Sir Malcolm Bruce will outline his party's pledge to help working people while meeting staff at Ardoe House Hotel, in Aberdeen, with candidate Sir Robert Smith.

Sir Malcolm said: Because Liberal Democrats are in government, the point at which people start to pay tax rose to £10,600 from just £6,500 under the last government. That's £825 back in the pockets of working men and women throughout Scotland.

Today, Nick Clegg is going further with a fully-costed plan for the starting point to rise to £11,000 in the first year of the next government under the Liberal Democrats. It will then reach at least £12,500 by 2020.

No other party has made this clear, simple, costed commitment to helping working people in Scotland.''