Holyrood should not be a 'conveyor belt' for cuts, the Scottish Labour leader has said.

Kezia Dugdale was outlining her party's welfare polices on Tuesday. Dugdale believes that the next Scottish Government "has a moral duty" to end austerity.

Dugdale said: "The central question in this election is about how we use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to stop the cuts. For the first time we can break from Tory austerity rather than use the Parliament as a conveyor belt for Tory austerity.

"The next Scottish Government has a moral duty to break from austerity. We should offer people more than just a safety net. We should offer a springboard to a better future. That's why a Labour Scottish Government will stop the cuts and invest in education. Doing nothing will simply rob another generation of opportunity and leave them trapped in poverty.

"Years of Tory cuts have driven too many Scots, and too many children, into poverty. We can now say enough is enough and deliver real change. That means building a fairer and more compassionate social security system for Scotland, but it also means stopping the cuts.

"Faced with the choice between using the powers of the Scottish Parliament to invest in or carrying on with Tory austerity, Labour will use the powers and stop the cuts."

The SNP however claim that Labour's plans actually "shift the burden of austerity" to low income earners.

A party spokesperson said: "Labour's plan is to simply shift the burden of Tory austerity onto those who can least afford it through their rise in the basic rate of income tax - and Kezia Dugdale has already u-turned on her proposal to compensate low earners and pensioners with a rebate.

"The SNP has set out ambitious plans to build a Scottish welfare system with fairness and dignity at its heart, to double the number of living wage employers by next autumn and to give every child the best start in life."

Scottish Conservatives accused Labour of playing a political"blame game".

The party's welfare spokesman John Lamont said: "It has been proven time and time again that the best way to get people out of poverty is to get people back to work. This also gives individuals a sense of self-confidence. Our policies also support people by encouraging them to develop skills that align with business demand, which creates more jobs.

"Labour may enjoy playing the blame game but the Scottish Conservatives are the only strong opposition to the SNP in Holyrood."

Speaking yesterday Scottish Greeen co-convener Maggie Chapman said that Labour's plans "does nothing to tackle inequality".

Chapman said: "Labour's offer of an across the board tax rise for even low income earners does nothing to tackle inequality, whereas the Scottish Greens are proposing to cut income tax for everyone on less than £26,500. And let's not forget Labour blocked devolution of employment law during the Smith Commission, leaving it in the hands of a Tory government, so their credibility on workers' rights is badly damaged.

"Our plan would generate additional revenue to invest in public services and create jobs in lasting industries. The need for such joined up thinking in parliament is clear and a strong regional vote for the Scottish Greens can ensure the bolder Holyrood our workers need."

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for Scotland's welfare system to be "underpinned by the respect for the dignity of individuals".