Ed Miliband has pledged to sign a “contract” with Scotland providing new Holyrood powers if he is elected prime minister next year.
The Labour leader said a raft of policies would be introduced within one year of coming to power including measures to help those on low incomes and people with soaring energy prices.
During a visit to Dundee he committed to a new Scotland Act devolving further powers to the Scottish Parliament.
Labour’s devolution commission has recommended that Holyrood get more responsibility over income tax, along with powers over housing benefit and the work programme.
Mr Miliband said Labour was the party that would allow the Scottish Parliament to enjoy the benefits devolution and the “strength and security and social justice that the United Kingdom can bring.”
It has been suggested that independence and the loss of Scottish Labour MPs who currently sit in Westminster, will make it more difficult for the party to get back in power.
Mr Miliband said the referendum was more important than what happened to the one party.
“This is about something much bigger than that, which is are we going to be a United Kingdom with Scotland in it,” he said
“Personally I think the rest of the United Kingdom benefits massively from Scotland’s presence.”
He added: “I believe the rest of the United Kingdom wants Scotland to stay. I also happen to believe its in Scotland’s interests to stay. In the end that’s a decision for the people of Scotland.”
If elected the first Queen’s Speech will include restoring the 50p tax rate for top earners and a 10p tax rates for low earners; a jobs guarantee for young Scots who have been unemployed for a year; a freeze on electricity and gas prices; and a ban on zero hour contracts.
“That’s the social justice agenda, the contract with the people of Scotland that I offer,” Mr Miliband said.
Mr Miliband said while he sympathised with people who were fed up with the Tories, the solution was to vote for Labour not independence.
SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell said Mr Miliband had nothing to offer the debate on Scotland’s future.
“Only a Yes vote in September guarantees we always get the governments we vote for and never again have to put up with Westminster Tory governments we didn’t elect.””