Holyrood battle to get under way

The contenders for the Scottish Parliament are facing a six-week battle for power as they begin their election campaigns in earnest.

Each of the political parties will embark on weeks of doorstepping, debating and online promotion following months of preparations behind the scenes.

With the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday night, Wednesday is the first full day on the campaign trail, where issues such as employment, public spending cuts and education are expected to loom large.

The SNP - following its success in 2007 - has stressed its 2011 election bid is very much a "continuation" of that campaign, with the added element of outlining its achievements in government over the past four years.

Campaign co-ordinator Angus Robertson MP said the SNP strategy would combine traditional campaigning methods with the use of technology such as a smartphone apps.

Labour, meanwhile, has set out plans to target battleground seats in its £1 million campaign, such as Edinburgh Eastern and Glasgow Southside, where they have the potential to claim the scalps of two SNP ministers, Kenny MacAskill and Nicola Sturgeon.

Rami Okasha, the party's head of communications, said: "We have christened this election as the doorstep election, and we'll be looking at real issues such as jobs and the cost of living, focusing on what really matters to people."

The Conservatives are concentrating on the party's record in opposition over the past four years, and what they could potentially deliver with increased influence in Holyrood. Leader Annabel Goldie said: "My message is that I want to make sure that in these challenging times people get more common sense policies."

The Liberal Democrats have set out a campaign aimed at creating a sustainable economy with new jobs for Scotland and a commitment to restoring excellence in education, according to campaign director George Lyon. He said while the party was going to make greater use of e-campaigning, candidates would still be taking to teh streets.

Meanwhile the Greens face the challenge of pushing their goal for election on the regional lists without the same level of financial backing as other parties. Campaign co-ordinator James MacKenzie said it would be the first time they had run a campaign where they were not leading on the environment.