Alex Salmond's name could appear next to the names of candidates

Alex Salmond's name can now be used on ballot papers across Scotland, in the hope of enticing voters to support less well known Nationalist candidates.

The tactic was used by Tommy Sheridan to gain SSP votes at the last Scottish Parliament election, which resulted in five MSPs joining him at Holyrood.

The SNP has registered 12 party descriptions it could use.

They include Alex Salmond (Leader - Scottish National Party), Alex Salmond for First Minister and Scottish National Party (Leader - Alex Salmond).

'Scaremongering' claims

Labour has accused the Nationalists of playing personality cult politics instead of flagging up their plans for independence.

None of the party's new slogans mention the SNP's core policy of holding a referendum on taking Scotland out of the UK.

Health and education policies feature in some of the branding which includes targeted messages.

Scottish National Party (Save Ayr Hospital) and Scottish National Party (Save Monklands Hospital) could be used in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire where accident and emergency services are being centralised.

Labour said these messages amount to "scaremongering of the worst order" because the hospitals concerned are not threatened with closure.

Independent MSP Margo MacDonald said she was discriminated against

The Nationalists can choose which strapline they want to appear alongside the name of each SNP candidate.

This will allow the party to tailor its message to different groups of voters in the polling booths.

The Scottish Green Party and Solidarity are taking a similar approach.

The Electoral Commission allows each political party to register up to 12 party descriptions.

Previously, variations on the official party name were negotiated with individual returning officers.

The UK parties have registered names such as "David Cameron's Conservatives" and "Sir Menzies Campbell's Liberal Democrats".

However, the Liberal Democrats have said the new system does not offer "a level playing field" to UK parties because they are only allowed the same number of brands as Scottish parties.

MSP Margo MacDonald said independent candidates such as her were "discriminated against" because they were not allowed to register any straplines.

Regional list

Meanwhile, the latest Scotsman ICM poll on voting intentions for the Holyrood elections in May gives the SNP a five percentage point lead over Labour on the first-past-the-post (FPP) constituency vote - one percentage point more than last month.

The Nationalists are running at 34% in the constituency vote to Labour's 29%.

They are also 4% ahead on the regional list vote - a percentage point less than the same poll in January.

Labour support is two percentage points less in the constituency vote but one point higher in the regional list.

However, the poll also suggests support for independence has gone down.

The number of people saying they would vote for independence in a referendum has fallen from 51% in October to 46%, while the number saying they would vote against it has gone up from 39% to 44%.

The opinion poll also said Liberal Democrats polled a one percentage point increase in FPP and saw no change in their regional vote, while the Tories' constituency and regional votes were both up on last month.