Labour's election chief has called for the party's campaign to be guided by the "politics of aspiration".

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research on Tuesday Alan Milburn said increasing social mobility should be the aim underpinning all of the government's key third term policies.

Ministers have become concerned that despite successfully redistributing wealth in its seven years in power, the government has failed to significantly improve people's life chances beyond retaining their parents social status.

And Milburn argued that spreading opportunity should be the thread linking the various strands of Labour's election manifesto.

The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, brought back into the Cabinet in September to mastermind the party's campaign, said a focus on high quality universal childcare, skills and adult education should be backed up by policies on extending home ownership to allow people to escape poverty.

He claimed this traditional goal of the left can also be shared by more moderate voters in the centre ground of the political spectrum.

"As we advance towards the next election, our task is to rebuild the New Labour coalition around 'one nation politics' that recognise, while life is hard for many, all should have the chance to succeed," Milburn said.

"Where, if you play by the rules, you get a fair chance to progress.

"This is the time to reclaim for New Labour the banner of ambition and aspiration."