THE SNP will continue to campaign against Westminster cuts and austerity Nicola Sturgeon said.

The SNP leader campaigned in East Kilbride with candidate Linda Fabiani and said it would oppose attempts cuts to the Scottish Government’s budget.

Ms Sturgeon committed the SNP to abolishing the bedroom tax when powers are devolved, and rejecting Tory proposals to re-introduce prescription charges or tuition fees.

She said: “In government in Scotland, and leading the opposition in Westminster, the SNP have stood stronger for Scotland and against the austerity agenda of the Tory Government.

“When the Tories tried to slash £7bn from Scotland’s budget during the fiscal framework negotiations, the SNP stood firm, and secured new powers for Scotland without a single penny being cut.

“When they imposed the Bedroom Tax on Scotland, the SNP Government mitigated it. We’ll formally abolish it when we have the powers to do so, and ensure no further cuts to disability benefits.

“We will resist Tory attempts in the Scottish Parliament to reintroduce taxes on ill health and on education.”

She added the SNP would continue to oppose the renewal of Trident, spending £167bn that could be used for public services.

She said that instead of the Tories opposing the SNP in Holyrood it was David Cameron who needed opposing at Westminster.

She added: “Ruth Davidson’s ambition seems to be to finish second in this election, but it’s not a strong Tory opposition that Scotland needs, Scotland needs a strong opposition to the Tories.”

“The way in which the Tories have, for instance, treated disabled people over the last few years has been disgraceful and Ruth Davidson can’t just try and disassociate herself from the Tories at Westminster.”

SNP campaign director John Swinney said the Tory manifesto launch was lacking in vision and her party remained “toxic” in Scotland.

He said: "Ruth Davidson admits her manifesto isn't a programme for government and that her party have no intention of setting out a detailed plan on how they would run Scotland.

"Their only policies of note are their deeply unpopular, regressive plans to bring back university tuition fees of £6,000 and to slap a tax on the sick by bringing back prescription charges.

"Ruth Davidson's party have no serious policies, no vision for Scotland and there has been no change in the Tory brand, which remains as toxic as ever in Scotland and which voters will utterly reject in three weeks' time."