Kezia Dugdale has accused the SNP of allowing standards at Scotland’s schools and hospitals to fall because the party has “governing as a second priority”.
In her first speech to national conference as Scottish Labour leader, Ms Dugdale made a “pledge to act” although she did not unveil a single policy during the 10-minute address.
It came immediately after shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray challenged the SNP to govern with “optimism, ambition and a sense of hope” but accused them of running the country “with pessimism”.
Ms Dugdale said: “After eight years of SNP Government, Scots don’t have the public services they need or deserve. Devolution was meant to deliver better-run schools and hospitals, with power closer to the people affected.
“But instead we have a Government in Edinburgh whose priority is campaigning for another referendum and not governing for a better Scotland.”
She added: “I will hold the mirror up to our Government in Scotland and keep on asking: surely this is not the best we can be?”
Ms Dugdale also promised Scottish Labour would “fight as hard to keep us in Europe as we did to keep us in the United Kingdom”, days after UK leader Jeremy Corbyn softened his stance and pledged to back staying in the EU.
SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said the “tired negative” speech was “indicative of a party that is all out of ideas”.
She added: “With uninspiring, negative, inward-looking speeches like this, it’s no wonder that Labour are, in Kezia Dugdale’s own words, ‘carping from the sidelines’ while the SNP gets on with the job of standing up for Scotland and delivering in government.”
Meanwhile, Mr Murray challenged the UK Government to accept his amendments to the Scotland Bill, which would see Holyrood given far greater control over benefits.
The sole Labour MP north of the border also compared his party’s record in the Scottish Parliament highlighting the smoking ban and introduction of free personal care for the elderly with the SNP’s, which he called “tim’rous”.
He told delegates: “If the Prime Minister and Scottish secretary are serious about powers for Scotland, I say this to them today: accept Labour’s changes. Don’t break your promises. And don’t deny the will of people across Scotland.”
Mr Murray added: “If the SNP turn their backs on these powers they will be turning their backs on Scotland.”
Scottish secretary David Mundell said: “The evidence from the latest polling could not be clearer. People in Scotland are now officially fed up being threatened with a second independence referendum.”