The Scottish Labour leader has accused the SNP Scottish government of being “knackered and out of touch” as he addressed Labour’s UK conference.

Anas Sarwar also criticised the “gutter politics and bile” of Reform, describing its leader Nigel Farage as a “poisonous little man” who knows nothing about Scotland.

Sarwar urged delegates in Liverpool to be less shy in trumpeting Labour’s achievements during the past 15 months in power at Westminster

Workers’ rights, economic stability and helping to secure a £10bn shipbuilding order for the Clyde were among the achievements he highlighted.

Sarwar addressed the conference with an upbeat message despite recent opinion polls suggesting support for his party in Scotland has fallen substantially since the general election, with Reform challenging Labour for second place.

He said Labour needed to be more confident at telling the story of its achievements, including the recent announcement of deal to build frigates on the Clyde for the Norwegian navy.

“Fifteen years of work for Clyde shipbuilders – securing thousands of jobs,” he said.

A £10bn shipbuilding deal that is the largest export deal in the history of shipbuilding in the UK.

“Securing the future of shipbuilding in my home city of Glasgow for years to come. Let’s not be shy about that.”

Sarwar accused the SNP of failing to make good use of an extra £5.2bn of funding provided to the devolved government since Labour came to power at Westminster

On the NHS, Sarwar there were now more people waiting over two years on an NHS waiting list in Glasgow than in the whole of England.

“What have they done with Labour’s record budget settlement? 880,000 Scots on an NHS waiting list. 100,000 patients waiting for over a year for treatment,” he said.

“And record numbers are having to shell out and pay privately to get the care they need. Where has the money gone?.”

Sarwar also claimed the Scottish government was failing to deliver on tackling crime, education and other public services.

“The brutal truth is that Scotland’s NHS won’t survive a third decade of John Swinney and this knackered and out of touch SNP,” he said.

The Scottish Labour leader also targeted Reform which he said had mounted personal attacks on him during the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election in June.

Labour won the election, despite a Reform Facebook advert which questioned Sarwar’s identity and suggested he would “prioritise the Pakistani community”.

Sarwar said it was a good preview of what might happen in next May’s Holyrood election, demonstrating both “the gutter politics and bile of Reform” and the “cheap and cynical politics of the SNP”.

He said Reform was about creating “noise” and that its leader Nigel Farage knew nothing about Scotland.

“I say to Nigel – Scotland is my home. I am working day and night to change my country for the better. My story is Scotland’s story,” he said.

“Whereas you are a pathetic and poisonous little man that doesn’t care about Scotland, doesn’t understand Scotland, and that’s why Scotland will utterly reject you.”

He closed his speech by saying Labour represented ambition and a new direction, and that he was confident the party could defy pollsters by returning to power after next year’s Scottish election.