Cities and towns across the United Kingdom have been urged to fly the Saltire by Labour leader Ed Miliband in an effort to persuade voters in Scotland to "stay with us".

Mr Miliband, who raised the flag in Liverpool with the city's mayor Joe Anderson, said he wanted to show that being part of the UK helped to achieve "fairness, equality and social justice".

He said he wanted to see the Saltire flying above buildings in all parts of the UK in the days leading up the September 18 referendum.

With opinion polls indicating the contest is on a knife edge, Labour voters in Scotland could prove crucial in deciding the fate of the union and Mr Miliband vowed to "campaign night and day" to preserve the UK.

Mr Miliband said: "Over the next few days we want cities, towns and villages across the UK to send a message to Scotland: stay with us.

"We want to see the Saltire flying above buildings all across our country.

"We are starting here in Liverpool by raising the Saltire to show we achieve fairness, equality and social justice better together than we do apart.

"People across this country care about inequality wherever we find it. They care about ending child poverty in Glasgow and Liverpool.

"They care about getting people back to work in Motherwell and Newcastle. They care about social justice in Dundee and Carlisle.

"In the final days of this referendum we will campaign night and day to preserve the United Kingdom and we will do that with a message from all parts of the United Kingdom - that we are better together."