Meet Five-a-side Dad and School Gate Mum - they hold the key to Scotland's future

The head of Scottish Labour's election campaign, John Park, told The Scotsman that the party was targeting the two groups of swing voters who he said represented the slice of the public whose support will be most fought over by the parties in May's election.

Labour MSP Mr Park claimed that Five-a-side Dads "who work hard and play football once a week" and School Gate Mums "who juggle busy working lives with caring for their children" will decide the outcome of a fiercely contested election.

Revealing Labour's election campaign strategy, Mr Park said they would focus on winning the support of the two groups who he claimed were people "in normal jobs and feeling the pinch".

Labour's election campaign co-ordinator said that the party's return to power would hinge on whether it wins over enough of those "not in the political class" some of who had deserted Labour at the 2007 election for Alex Salmond's SNP.

The importance of the two groups was backed by leading elections expert Professor Trevor Salmon of Aberdeen University, who said that how they vote will be "more decisive" than in any previous Holyrood poll.

Prof Salmon said: "These groups are key to the election because we're talking about 45 per cent of Scotland and they are people angry about the local swimming pool their children use closing or the lack of a council football pitch to play on.

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"We're talking about people who earn maybe 20,000 a year and have big mortgages, but don't always vote.

"What's interesting this time is that they are being squeezed so hard that they are very angry and are more likely to vote and this could be critical in deciding whether it's Labour or the SNP who wins power.

"The policies that will win over Five-a-side Dads and School Gate Mums are ones that will deliver economic stability and security, as these groups are struggling with things like soaring childcare costs."

Meanwhile, Mr Park a former Rosyth dockyard trade union official, revealed that pursuing the votes of the groups would guide Labour's campaign strategy on "a day-to-day basis".

The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP claimed that Labour would target its promises such as extending free personal care and employing more teachers at the Five-a-side Dads and School Gate Mums who he said were being "squeezed" by the cuts crisis gripping Scotland.

Mr Park said: "People that I speak to and spend time with outside politics are typical voters. They are the Five-a-side Dads and School Gate Mums.

"A lot of my friends, people who I play football with and socialise with, are not in the political class. These are the people who are in normal jobs are feeling the pinch at the moment.They are the ones who are the swing voters like the dads who work hard and play football once a week and the mothers who juggle busy working lives with caring for their children.

"I have pals who have had been made redundant and who have had their hours changed.

"It's people like this who will be the key to winning the election - perhaps some of the people who we lost touch with."

But, Prof Salmon warned Mr Park had made a mistake by tipping-off other parties about Labour's election strategy.

He said: "Mr Park is right, but the problem he's got now is that he's tipped-off his political opponents who may look to pursue a similar strategy. But when it comes down to it, the election will be a straight fight between Labour and the SNP. The SNP, because they've been in power for four years, are vulnerable to the anger of the Five-a-side Dads and School Gate Mums."

SNP MSP John Wilson said: "I would say the election will be determined by people who are concerned about the future of public services and worried about job security.

"These groups of voters are rightly worried about maintaining their living standards and these issues will play a key role in the outcome of the election."