Forward, urges Blair

Prime Minister Tony Blair will today urge his party to keep its nerve and back him for a full third term in office.

His keynote speech to delegates at Labour's annual conference in Bournemouth will promise a nationwide listening exercise in a bid to cement public trust in his Government.

Bur Mr Blair will say: "The choice is forward or back - I can only go one way. I haven't got a reverse gear."

His eagerly awaited speech is expected to last up to an hour as he seeks to re-establish his relationship with both the party and the voters.

The Prime Minister will tell the conference: "Six and a half years in we are poised. This is a fantastic opportunity to use, or to lose. This is a time for renewal not retreat."

Mr Blair will tell his party: "No other Labour Government has come so far. We now have the prospect of a full third term. That is there for the taking - ours to win, ours to lose. We must get on with it."

And the Premier will stress his commitment to "a future fair for all" - the conference slogan.

But he will refuse to apologise for the war in Iraq, saying Saddam Hussein's removal has made the world a safer place and he would do the same thing again.

All eyes will be on the reaction to the Premier's speech, from union leaders and activists, after their enthusiastic reception for Chancellor Gordon Brown's address yesterday.

But most pundits predict the party will rally round their leader, if only to avoid the impression of a public split.