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Scottish election 2021: Party leaders outline pandemic recovery plans

The leaders of Scotland's five larger parties have taken part in their first TV debate ahead of the Holyrood election on May 6.

A virtual audience of 30 members of the public asked a range of questions, from Scottish independence to the future of the NHS. But the debate was dominated by each party's plan for taking Scotland into recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.

The BBC One Scotland debate, hosted by Sarah Smith, featured SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon; Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross; Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar; Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.

Read more: Party leaders clash over independence

30 March 2021

Scottish Parliament election 2021

Nicola Sturgeon

Scottish Greens

Scottish Labour

Scottish Conservatives

Scottish Liberal Democrats

SNP (Scottish National Party)

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John Swinney standing in Holyrood's debating chamber. He is wearing a blue suit and dark tie and other MSPs can be seen behind him.

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Alex Salmond standing at a podium during campaigning for the 2014 independence referendum.

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BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell lying on the ground with a blue beanie hat and wrapped in a silver blanket

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Weather presenter Christopher Blanchett standing in front of a large-scale photograph of wintry conditions

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Veterans during Edinburgh's Armistice Day event. One of them is saluting while the other have heads bowed while holding flags downward.

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Three rescuers wearing life jackets and hard hats work to free a humpback whale in a sea loch

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Experts used underwater cameras to work out how the whale was trapped, before untangling it in Loch Fyne.

Sandy Duthie from Aberdeenshire is now the lighthouse keeper on Gabo Island, in Victoria

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Police stand next to a blue trawler vessel moored in a harbour

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A 38-year-old man was arrested and two Ghanaian men were removed from the vessel as part of the operation.

Firework explodes on the top or a building behind a traffic island sending red and yellow sparks showering metres in all directions.

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Gloved hand picking up one of five Lewis chessmen. Two are facing the camera and three away from the camera.

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Ten of the intricately-carved pieces have been redisplayed in a case which allows visitors to see their backs for the first time.

The Jacobite Express steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands

Repairing Scotland's historic 'Harry Potter' bridge

Engineers have been working day and night on the Glenfinnan Viaduct as part of a £3.4m restoration project.

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, wearing a blue top and black coat, stands beside Alex Salmond, wearing a blue shirt and dark jacket

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Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh says people in North Macedonia wanted to pay tribute to Alex Salmond.

Waves can be seen overtopping the barrier at Troon. The sky is grey and sea mist is being blown high by the wind.

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Storm Ashley could cause gusts of up to 70-80 mph (113-129km/h) in some areas of Scotland.

Gillian Smart wears a red and black dress. She presents the weather in front of a green screen which forecasts high winds across Scotland.

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Gillian Smart has the latest weather forecast, as a yellow warning for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) is in force across the whole of Scotland.

North Macedonian soldiers carrying Alex Salmond's coffin draped in a Saltire towards a private jet

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Black and white horse sticking its head out of a barn door while a police officer feeds it

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, wears a blue suit and glasses, as he stands in the House of Commons. Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves sit either side of him on the benches.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer pays tribute to the 'lasting legacy' of Alex Salmond.

Chris McEleny of the Alba Party speaks to the BBC via Zoom from Zagreb in Croatia

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Chris McEleny of the Alba Party is travelling to North Macedonia, where Alex Salmond died on Saturday.

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BBC weather presenter bursts into song live on air

Calum MacColl sung the Gaelic song that won him a gold medal at the Royal National Mòd in 2021.

Sally Magnusson sits in a darkened room wearing blue-rimmed glasses, a white top and a burgundy blazer

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