60 Second Briefing: April 26

SNP

• Alex Salmond went by rail to Stirling, promising shorter journey times, while Labour hit back that he wants to deny public transport to Edinburgh. He set out his pensioners' charter with some older locals, sharing their sausage rolls in Bannockburn. This included replacement of council tax, transport investment, local health care and elderly care provision. Two more business backers were revealed, with a challenge to Labour to declare its business backers.

Labour

• Sir Tom Hunter, education philanthropist, backed Labour plans to boost support to the most at-risk children, but was careful not to endorse the party. Jack McConnell campaigned in Glasgow play centres, and hailed growing employment figures. Labour was endorsed by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, but only after a bruising debate at which unhappiness with the government was aired.

Libdems

• Nicol Stephen emphasised his family-friendly strategy, while mountain biking in the Borders to stress his support for outdoor facilities. The party's second election broadcast focused on the leader and his family. LibDems told Labour to listen to those trade unions who argued yesterday that Holyrood is shackled and needs more powers. The party was warned by Nationalist Alex Salmond not to thwart independence referendum plans in a post-election unionist alliance.

Conservatives

• Annabel Goldie was in Glasgow making the case against road tolls, while Friends of the Earth Scotland gave Tories a big thumbs down for their environmental plans. The party's main funder, Monaco-based Lord Laidlaw, was found to have broken an agreement to pay his taxes in Britain, which was a condition of being given his peerage.

Others

• Scottish Socialist leader Colin Fox joined the transport theme in Edinburgh, trumpeting his party's pledge of completely free public transport. Solidarity launched its council campaign in Glasgow. Greens claimed to be more in tune with trade union concerns than Labour. Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party launched a bid for mass nationalisation and 15 deep coal mines in Scotland.