The speech in full

Gordon Brown put education and health at the heart of his agenda for Labour's second decade in power today as he used his maiden conference speech as party leader to promise stronger public services and a fairer society for all.

But he kept the country guessing as to whether he will capitalise on recent strong opinion polls and call a snap general election to earn a full five-year mandate - although he joked that when people now asked him if he recommended his job, he liked to reply: "Not yet."

The Prime Minister received a rapturous ovation as he strode on the platform of the Bournemouth conference hall and had to wait several minutes for the applause to die down so he could start to speak.

When he did there was none of the rhetorical brilliance displayed by his predecessor, Tony Blair - who routinely used the conference platform to woo Labour doubters. There were also precious few jokes.

Instead, for slightly after an hour, Mr Brown listed the big issues he wants to tackle in his premiership, repeatedly reassuring delegates - and voters beyond - that he was the right man for the job.

On education, Mr Brown pledged to give give every child 15 years of schooling from the age of three. As part of a revolution in childcare, women will get nine months paid maternity leave from this year - and the longer-term target was to give them a full 12 months after every child.

Mr Brown also pledged new rules to tackle binge drinking and the sale of alcohol to minors, and announced plans to build new youth centres to keep young people off the streets.

Despite its lack of rhetorical flourishes, the speech went down well with delegates, especially from the trades unions. Derek Simpson, leader of Unite, said: "It was a captain’s innings of a speech, just like Geoffrey Boycott’s. There were no sixes just steady run-making."

But David Cameron, the Tory leader, who was not mentioned at all by Mr Brown, was scathing. "After that uninspired speech, it is clear that Gordon Brown has no answers to Britain's problems. The Conservatives do and that's why we have all along called for a general election and continue to do so today. We are ready and waiting."

Mr Brown told delegates he was "honoured and humbled" by the trust the party had placed in him.

He went on: "No one could have foreseen all the events that Britain has been through since June. But tested again and again the resilience of the British people has been powerful proof of the character of our country.

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