First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that a strong group of SNP MPs at Westminster could help avoid the "misery of further austerity".

SNP leader Ms Sturgeon joined SNP candidates and activists to launch the party's Glasgow Central campaign in the run up to May's election today.

She was out and about in the Gorbals with Glasgow Central candidate Alison Thewliss, Glasgow North hopeful Patrick Grady and Natalie McGarry, running for Glasgow East.

Earlier this week Ms Sturgeon suggested an alternative approach for the next parliament which would see £180 billion extra spent on public services by 2020.

Today she said that a strong team of SNP MPs can "put heart back into" Westminster policy and help ensure that women, disabled and hard-working people no longer pay the price for austerity.

She said: "The SNP has one role at Westminster - and that is to stand up for Scotland. That means we will never support or prop up the Tories in office - but at the same time we are not going to allow any Labour government to continue implementing Tory economic policies.

"The SNP has already shown that with the powers the Scottish Government does have, we can implement economic policies that don't lose focus on fairness. For example, the Living Wage is paid to all employees covered by the Scottish Government's pay policy - and this makes a real difference to the lowest paid workers, with women in particular seeing the benefits.

"And our Fair Work Convention will work with business and trade unions look at ways to ensure our economy continues to prosper and the benefits are felt by all.

"With extensive powers over employment and welfare, the Scottish Government could do even more to promote prosperity - and at Westminster a strong group of SNP MPs will make the case for more powers at every opportunity."

She said that a strong team of SNP MPs can also be a "progressive force for change" for the UK as a whole.

She added: "By persuading a Labour government to take a more moderate approach to tackling the deficit, we can avoid the misery of further austerity."

Labour's shadow Scottish secretary, Margaret Curran, said: "The only thing that voting SNP is going to put a brake on is the prospect of getting rid of the Tories. The largest party will form the next UK government and there are only two choices - a Labour or a Tory government.

"Under the Tories, Scots are £1,600 a year worse off and the poor, sick and disabled have been hit by cruel and unfair policies like the bedroom tax. On May 7, we have an opportunity to bring this to an end.

"Every vote for the SNP is a vote for another five years of David Cameron in Downing Street. That is not what Scotland wants or needs."