Gordon Brown has admitted the government "must do more" to respond to the economic downturn and that it is time to "rethink New Labour policy".
In an exclusive article for The Monitor's party conference edition, the prime minister concedes that change cannot be carried out successfully without "leadership" and that he will rise to the challenge at this year's gathering in Manchester.
After summing up the economic challenges facing all western governments the Labour leader writes: "I believe that Britain is well placed to withstand the shocks that these transformations bring, but if we are to seize on the opportunities these new challenges present, then the country, the government, and New Labour must do more.
"Whether global or domestic, deep-seated or just fleeting, the pressures that we face in the short-term and the long-term have all changed since New Labour first came into government. And so, the way we govern must change too. That is why in Manchester this year it is time to adapt and rethink New Labour policy," Brown adds.
The prime minister also concedes that after more than 11 years in power Labour has not improved social mobility.
"We need to be honest with ourselves: while poverty has been reduced and the rise in inequality halted, social mobility has not improved in Britain as we would have wanted.
"A child's social class background at birth is still the best predictor of how well he or she will do at school and later on in life. Our ambitions for a fairer Britain cannot be satisfied in the face of these injustices."
After months of damaging speculation about his premiership Brown insists his leadership can "conquer" the challenges facing the country and promote "fairness".
"What I ask of our country, our government, and our party, cannot be done without leadership. So, at conference in Manchester and in the weeks that follow, I will set out how I – and our party, and our government, and our country – must rise to conquer those challenges and to ensure fairness for all," he said.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd