Blair to promise fightback

Tony Blair will today admit to Labour conference delegates that the party has been in difficulties over fuel and pensions.

Tony Blair will today admit to Labour conference delegates that the party has been in difficulties over fuel and pensions.

He will promise to recognise and respond to the difficulties of recent weeks and will use his keynote address to launch a fightback ready for the next election.

The theme is expected to follow the line from the Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Mandelson, that the Government's actions could have seemed too high-handed and bureaucratic recently.

Mr Blair will be trying to use the occasion to reverse the Conservatives' rise in recent opinion polls and is expected to respond to growing public feelings that his party has become increasingly arrogant.

In doing so, it is expected that he will not only address the issues of pensions and fuel but also turn to his favourite themes of education and the health service.