SUPPORTING local businesses and raising the living wage is key to boosting the economy, the Scottish Greens have claimed.

Party leader Patrick Harvie visited an East End bar yesterday along with Glasgow North East candidate Zara Kitson to highlight his party's commitment to raising the living wage to £10 an hour by 2020.

Redmond's bar on Duke Street played host to the campaign event just four days before voters take to the polls.

The venue is just one of the city's independent retailers paying it's staff the living wage, currently set at £7.85 per hour.

Mr Harvie spoke of the importance of paying the living wage and supporting local businesses to keep money circulating in the local economy, instead of spending it in large corporate retailers.

He said: "During the campaign we have been taking a lot about how to build a more equal society and one where the economy works in everyone's best interest. We think a crucial part of that is the minimum wage up to the level of the living wage, and seeing that rise up to £10 an hour by 2020.

"That's not just about making sure people have enough money to live with dignity, and moving away from this welfare state.

"It's also about businesses like this which is already a living wage employer, it already has a strong commitment to the community and to the values of the community which is has its roots in. it's also about making sure people in this community have enough money to spend on a night out, a meal - the things that people are able to spend in the local economy if they're not living in poverty."

Mr Harvie also slammed the current economic climate which he said was "forcing people to work every hour they've got, or sanctioning them through the benefits system, leaving people with no way out of really chronic levels of poverty and inequality."

He added: " If we commit to sharing the wealth of our economy more equally and making sure that the local high street and local businesses, independent instead of multi-national chains, are able to thrive, that means people will have a bit of spending power in their pockets. The minimum wage commitment and the living wage up to £10 an hour is a crucial part of economic progress for the local economy as well as social justice.

The Scottish Greens leader also said the minimum wage, although beneficial, had stagnated and not kept up with inflation and the increasing cost of living, shunting more people further into poverty."

On the topic of zero hours contracts, Mr Harvie's view was that although they may be beneficial to some people, the power of choice should lie firmly with the employee rather than the employer.

He said: " The requirement that people accept those contracts, should be entirely abolished and they should only exist if the employee decides it is in their own best interests."

Conor Miskimmin, owner of the east end venue hosting the campaign event, said paying the living wage to his staff has been of huge benefit already to his business.

He said: "We wanted to try to ensure we had the best possible people. Part of that strategy was to pay the living wage - it allows people to have a sense of balance in their life.

"They don't have to work a second job; they don't have to work more hours than they're comfortable with.

"It allows them to do more things with their time and earn an appropriate amount of money.

"We will also give them 10% of the profits at the end of the financial year to share among staff and numerous other benefits.

"It's not just the living wage, but it's embracing the fact the most important people in our business are our people."

Low pay and wage increases have been a main point of concern in all four main UK party manifestos.

Labour have pledge to raise the minimum wage to £8 per hour before 2020, and ban 'exploitative zero hours contracts', according to their manifesto.

As reported in the Evening Times, this pledge was repeated by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy at a rally in Glasgow two weeks ago.

Despite not putting a figure on their minimum wage plans in their manifesto, the SNP quickly announced they would plan to raise the minimum wage to £8.70 by 2020, trumping Labour's plans by 70p.

The Lib Dems have said they will continue to "stamp out abuse" of zero hours contracts, but have yet to put a figure on how much they would raise the minimum wage to.

According to the party's manifesto, they would "ask the low pay commission to look at ways of raising the national minimum wage without damaging employment opportunities."

The party, fronted by Nick Clegg, have also pledged to clamp down on employers not paying minimum wage.