Tony Blair has given an upbeat assessment of Labour's prospects ahead of the resumption of parliamentary business and the autumn conference season.

Speaking to party workers at the party's London headquarters, the prime minister said ministers had set out an "ambitious, credible and practical prospectus for transforming our essential public services".

With Westminster politicians preparing for a final push to the next general election, which is widely predicted to take place next spring, Blair dismissed the challenge from opposition parties.

And he outlined the key themes of Labour's conference taking place in Brighton at the end of this month.

"The key to renewing our political support for the coming years is policy," he said.

"We must set out, as we started to do in June and July, a compelling modern prospectus for the country to make it stronger, fairer and more prosperous.

"There is one key test that every policy decision should pass: does it, in practical terms, advance and improve the lives of Britain's hard-working families in the future?  Does it help provide opportunity and security for them in a world of change?"

Public service reform

Labour's plans to reform the public services were already "being implemented with a fair measure of success", he said.

Blair argued that the future political battleground "will not be a debate about past achievements".

"It will be a fight for the future: how to meet the challenges which face us as a country; how to extend opportunity and security to all hard-working families; how to build a society in which no-one is left out."

He pledged to "focus relentlessly" on key challenges for the future, including providing greater opportunities, personalising public services and promoting a tolerant multi-cultural society.

As part of the move, new policies in areas such as promoting business and enterprise, housing, vocational education, public health and pensions will be set out over the coming months.

"In each case, the policies will be New Labour," Blair vowed.

"They will be courageous in addressing the future by modern policy means, with no hang-ups for example about partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors as appropriate, or extending rights and responsibilities together."

And with ministers and officials focusing on the manifesto for a third term Labour government, he added that now "is not the time for caution in the face of future challenges".