A LABOUR government will tackle poverty in Scotland with a five-point plan Jim Murphy has said.

Abolishing the bedroom tax, scrapping benefit sanctions targets and raising the minimum wage are part of the proposals he outlined today in Glasgow.

Visiting NG homes in Possilpark with shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves, he said

Food banks and the bedroom tax characterised the current government.

The plan would see a £175m Scottish anti poverty fund set up with cash the Scottish Government currently spends mitigating the bedroom tax.

It also includes capping energy bills and taxing profits of "legal loan sharks" to boost credit unions.

Mr Murphy said: "Labour's mission is to battle poverty and inequality. I want to make food banks history in Scotland.

"It won't happen overnight, but by making work pay, ending government targets on benefit sanctions and protecting the vulnerable we can begin to build the fairest nation on earth. That starts with UK Labour Government in May."

Mr Murphy said the growth in food banks made him furious.

"The two things that sum up five years of Tory rule are the explosion of food banks and the hated bedroom tax that has been imposed on Scotland.

"The existence of food banks in our communities makes me feel both fury and respect.

"Fury that this poverty infects our communities in the first place and respect that people care enough for their neighbour to donate and volunteer to help.

"In a country as rich as ours thousands of parents shouldn't have to rely on charity to feed their children.

His five-point plan includes many policies previously announced individually.

It is:

€¢ Scrap the bedroom tax and establish a £175 million anti-poverty fund.

€¢ Abolish government targets for benefit sanctions

€¢ Ban exploitative zero hour contracts, raising the minimum wage and extending the living wage.

€¢ Tackle rising household costs by capping energy bills and banning rip off rent rises.

€¢ Tax the profits of the legal loan sharks and put the money into credit unions.

Ms Reeves hopes to take over from Iain Duncan Smith as Work and Pensions secretary, if Labour wins the election.

She said: "In just 44 days' time people in Scotland can decide the general election. Scotland can get rid of the Food Bank Prime Minister and elect a Labour Government which will protect vulnerable people across the UK by scrapping the bedroom tax.

"A UK Labour Government scrapping the bedroom tax means more money in the Scottish budget to support and protect those have borne the brunt of five years of the Tories. David Cameron's failure to tackle low pay has led to an 1147% increase in the number of people in Scotland using food banks."