More social housing, guarantees of rapid cancer checks and one-to-one tuition for pupils will form the core of reforms laid out today by Gordon Brown.

The proposals - dubbed "Building Britain's Future" - are an attempt by Labour to regain the political initiative after a turbulent few months. Some of the fine details have been held back before Mr Brown's speech to the Commons this afternoon. This follows the new Speaker's demands for an end to pre-briefing of policy changes in the media.