Scottish Labour must show people that it is the party “who stands up for Scotland”, deputy leader Alex Rowley told delegates as he brought its annual conference to a close.
Mr Rowley, who was elected alongside new leader Kezia Dugdale earlier this year, said members could “take a pride in Labour” and what it stands for.
He used his closing speech in Perth to issue a rallying call to activists ahead of the Holyrood elections in May.
The party has the “energy, drive and ambition” to create a better Scotland, he said.
Over the coming months, it will bring forward a “strong platform for change”, Mr Rowley added.
He praised both Ms Dugdale and UK leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Changes brought forward by the new Scottish leader mean that, Mr Rowley said, Scottish Labour would “never again be treated as a branch office”.
His speech came shortly after members voted to back a call to scrap the Trident nuclear missile – a position which now puts them at odds with the UK party’s position on the weapons system.
“Decisions being made on Scotland will be made here in Scotland by the Scottish leadership and by the Scottish party,” Mr Rowley said.
Reflecting on Mr Corbyn’s address to conference on Friday, he said: “On Friday it was clear that our conference was not only excited and inspired by the new UK leader and his message, we were motivated to take that message of a kinder, honest and straightforward politics into the communities of Scotland.”
He went on: “There is a big difference between Labour and the SNP. The SNP want to change borders, Labour, we want to change society in Scotland and across the UK.
“Let us be clear that in eight long years of SNP government they have done nothing to take Scottish children out of poverty, they have done nothing to take Scottish pensioners out of poverty, they have done nothing to address low wages, youth unemployment and the unacceptable levels of unemployment that still blight so many communities the length and breadth of Scotland.
“Let us show people in Scotland that it is Labour who stands up for Scotland.
“It is Labour who will build the council houses we so desperately need, invest in our children’s education to give them the best start in life, and it is Labour who will begin to tackle the massive challenges facing our NHS.
“It is Labour who will get people out of poverty by giving them the skills, the confidence and ultimately the jobs.”