The Scottish Greens have pledged to tackle poverty and protect public services as they launched their general election manifesto.

The party, whose membership numbers about 8,500, said it will field candidates in the majority of Scotland's 59 seats for the first time.

The Greens also set out plans to secure more powers for Scotland and local communities.

Co-convenor Patrick Harvie MSP said: "Everyone is tired of the same old Westminster politics.

"Scotland is ready for change and people are eager to vote for ideas they can believe in.

"The Green membership surge means we're in a strong position to send principled voices to speak up for Scotland's communities.

"Our bold vision for Scotland and the UK is a compelling offer that others simply can't match."

Fellow co-convenor Maggie Chapman said: "With a £10 minimum wage we could ensure no one works in a job that keeps them in poverty.

"By rolling back benefits cuts and lifting the punishing sanctions regime, we can restore a society with compassion.

"With real powers devolved to Scotland and to local communities we can put people, not big business, in control."

The Scottish Greens also back plans for a citizen's income, which would replace the majority of benefits and the state pension, and would be paid to everyone.

Green Party candidate Peter McColl said: "The citizen's income is a policy we see as aspirational. We agree with our colleagues in England that this is not something we would introduce in the short term."

He said existing levels of jobseeker's allowance, coupled with some of the subsidies given to businesses and landowners, would help fund the policy.

The Greens are hoping to build a "progressive alliance" with the SNP at Westminster as they seek to add to the single seat they took in 2010.

Mr Harvie said: "We have common ground with the SNP on some areas, we have always had areas where we have challenged the SNP.

"Any political party that believes in creating the positive alternative to austerity that this country needs, any political party that is committed to abolishing Trident and not investing in another generation of obscene nuclear weapons, any political party that embodies those values would be failing in its duty if it didn't seek allies on those particular things, while continuing to challenge them where there are areas of serious difference."

He was asked to clarify the party's stance on terrorist organisations.

Green Party policy says: ''It should not be a crime simply to belong to an organisation or have sympathy with its aims, though it should be a crime to aid and abet criminal acts or deliberately fund such acts.''

Mr Harvie said: "I think there has been some nonsense talked about policies long out of date written in context of apartheid South Africa.

"In the modern context I don't think anybody ... in the Green Party or anywhere else who is rational would say anything other than that Isis is a terrible threat to security ... and we should take very seriously the issue of extremism," he said.