THE Scottish Greens have used their spring conference to promise free buses for all and the “biggest expansion to childcare in a generation” should they win power at Holyrood.

At Glasgow’s Strathclyde University at the weekend, co-leaders Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer used their keynote addresses to set out the party’s stall ahead of May’s election.

Ms Mackay, who became a mother last year, focused on childcare, setting out her plan to offer 570 hours of funded care for children between six months and two years old, as well as an extension to funded hours from then on, amounting to the “biggest expansion of funded childcare for a generation.”

Declaring it would mean “more children learning, more parents back at work, and more money in families’ pockets,” she added: “Too many are being saddled with nursery fees that cost more than the mortgage.”

Mr Greer used his speech to commit to delivering free bus travel for everyone in Scotland,” and do so “on a bus network that has been brought back under public control,” before turning his fire on the man he once referred to as his “work dad,” SNP leader John Swinney.

He said: “First Minister, your attempts to charm Donald Trump have got you all the way to the Oval Office, but they failed.

“You’ve got nothing to show for them, and history will judge us all, especially those in high office for what we do here and now.”

A Scottish government spokeswoman responded:  “It is the duty and responsibility of the First Minister to pursue Scotland’s interests and engage with world leaders, including the US president. 

“This is what the people of Scotland rightly expect of their national leader.”