Gordon Brown has promised to deliver a "fair Britain for the new age".
Making a crucial keynote speech to the Labour conference in Manchester on Tuesday, the prime minister acknowledged that "people have real concerns about the future of the economy [and] the future of our country".
He also accepted that he had made a mistake in moving to abolish the 10p rate of income tax and had been "stung" by criticism that he was not "on the side of people on middle and modest incomes".
In a more personal address than he has made before, Brown was introduced onto the stage by his wife Sarah, before promising to explain "who I am [and] what I believe".
Setting out his vision for the country, he said he would work to create "a Britain of fair chances for all, and fair rules applied to all".
He said he wanted to create a "something for something Britain, not a nothing for nothing Britain", with fair rules on welfare, crime and migration.
"So our policy is that everyone who can work must work, so that the dole is only for those looking for work or actively preparing for it," he said. "That's only fair to the people pulling their weight."
"Taking action on the causes of crime will never mean indulging those who perpetrate it," he added.
"Justice seen is justice done - so you will be seeing more police on the street, higher profiles for the verdicts of the court, and greater visibility for the people doing community payback. That's only fair to the law abiding majority.
"Nobody in Britain should get to take more out of the system than they are willing to put in... The other side of welcoming newcomers who can help Britain is being tough about excluding those who won't and can't.
"That's only fair to the tax-paying public and to the migrants who uphold the rules.
"So, across the board, we will create rules that reward those who play by them and punish those who don't. That's what fairness means to me."
Stakeholder response: National Union of Teachers
Commenting on Gordon Brown's speech to the Labour Party conference, Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe's largest teaching union, said: "I welcome the government's commitment to making it a legal requirement to end child poverty by 2020 and its plan to extend free nursery places for two-year-olds.
"However, they need to ensure that qualified teachers with a proper background in child development are brought into nurseries.
"The government's continued backing of Academies is a move in entirely the wrong direction. What is needed is a good local school for every child. The emphasis on failed schools sends out the wrong message. The vast majority of schools as we know are doing excellent jobs for our young people.
"Giving personal tuition to children who need it most, whilst not a new idea, is a bold move. Fairness requires that children from disadvantaged backgrounds should receive the sort of help that children from wealthier backgrounds get."
Stakeholder response: MS Society
Following Gordon Brown's speech today at the Labour party conference, the MS Society welcomes news of a commitment to end prescription charges for people with long-term conditions.
Speaking at the conference in Manchester, Mr Gordon Brown said: "Our plan is next year to abolish all prescription charges for everyone with cancer. And this is not the limit of our commitment to a fair NHS.
"In the long term, as the NHS generates cash savings in its budget we will plough savings back into abolishing charges for all patients with long-term conditions."
This commitment comes as promising news to the 85,000 people in the UK with multiple sclerosis – a neurological condition for which there is no cure and few effective treatments.
"Drugs available are used to treat symptoms such as pain, fatigue and mobility problems, but at £7.10 per prescription, people with MS on low incomes are struggling to pay for the drugs they need.
Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society, said: "This is great news for people with multiple sclerosis, especially given the current economic climate. The financial burden of paying for drugs is the last thing you need when you have a condition like MS and we have been campaigning for more than a year to persuade the government to take action.
"We will be very keen to find out how and when this is going to happen – the sooner, the better."
Stakeholder response: NCVO
Liz Atkins, director of public policy at NCVO, told ePolitix.com: "We are delighted that Gordon Brown has recognised the invaluable contribution that our sector contributes to society. In particular, our role in delivering personalised public services, better tailored to the needs of individuals."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd