Gordon Brown has staked a fresh claim for the Labour leadership.

In an interview with the BBC, the chancellor spoke of the need for Britain to acquire a "stronger sense of destiny" - and his determination to help shape it.

His comments will fuel speculation that Tony Blair may come under pressure to step aside early in the next parliament.

Asked directly about the succession, the chancellor said: "I've never got into this business about speculating about who does what - and I don't actually think it's the office you hold, it's actually what you do in the office that you are involved in."

He added: "For me there is a mission for this country moving forward.

"There are big long-term decisions we've got to take as a nation. It's my job, I think, to alert people to the opportunities ahead and I believe that Britain can be the best place to grow up in."