Tony Blair will use his keynote speech to next month's Labour conference to warn critics that there can be no retreat from his public service reforms - or the occupation of Iraq.

Today's Guardian says that the prime minister has told aides: "Retreat would be an absolute disaster."

To put forward his case, Blair intends to make wider use of the full Cabinet to debate and decide policy; to revamp Labour's national policy forum; and to draw party activists and voters into an understanding of policy options before decisions are made.