Ruth Davidson risked injury as she faced off with Scotland’s toughest sportswomen – while her Holyrood rival slammed her for wanting to dump free painkillers.
Ms Davidson was meeting the Scottish women’s U20s ice hockey team in Dumfries this morning.
Nicola Sturgeon popped in to a Falkirk pharmacy to reinforce the SNP’s commitment to free prescriptions, as she dubbed the Scottish Conservative desire to ditch the universalist policy a “tax on ill health”.
Earlier this week, Ms Davidson said those who can afford it should pay about £8 for their prescriptions, to free up £60 million a year for the NHS.
Ms Davidson was in the Borders to talk about the dangers of Scotland being the highest tax area in the UK.
The Labour MP Ian Murray was in Edinburgh calling for Ms Sturgeon to follow Kezia Dugdale’s lead and raise the top income tax rate to 50p.
He said new HMRC policy undermined the SNP leader’s claims that the prospect of tax avoidance meant it was not the right time to raise the additional rate.
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie laid out plans to support small businesses during a visit to a jewellery shop in Kirkintilloch. That includes a full review of the rates businesses have to pay and getting firms more involved in education and training.
Meanwhile, Fife MSP candidate Mark Ruskell, from the Scottish Greens, revealed his party’s plans for tackling the ”unfair control big supermarkets have over Scottish farmers”.