British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged today to set Britain on a new path to meet its people's rising aspirations and give them skills to compete in a globalised world.
There had been speculation that Mr Brown could use his first speech as leader to the annual conference of the Labour Party to announce an early election, but he made no mention of a vote.
Instead, he gave an impassioned declaration of the values he believes in and of the challenges he believes Britain must face up to in the years ahead.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
"Today the rising aspirations of the British people summon us to set a new direction," he said. "Up against the competition of two billion people in China and India, we need to unlock all the talent we have.
"The country that brings out the best in all its people will be the great success story of the global age," he said.
He said he wanted a genuinely meritocratic Britain, putting people and their potential first.
Mr Brown also declared "there should be no safe haven, no hiding place anywhere in the world for al-Qaeda and terrorism".
In Iraq and Afghanistan, where British troops are based, Britain would work for security, political reconciliation and economic reconstruction, Mr Brown said, stressing London would hold fast to its partnership with its "closest ally" Washington.
Britain would not rest until there was a ceasefire and a lasting political settlement for the Sudanese region of Darfur, he said.
The five-day conference in Bournemouth has been hit by a bout of election fever as Mr Brown's wide lead in the opinion polls fuels talk that he could call a snap election, perhaps as soon as October - some three years early.
But sources close to Mr Brown say he will not decide on an election until after the conference. Labour will be bidding for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term at the next election.