Tony Blair has defied his critics, saying he is "proud" of Britain's invasion of Iraq.

On the eve of Labour's annual party conference, the prime minister said there was nothing to apologise for over the removal of Saddam Hussein's murderous regime.

"I don't apologise for Iraq. I am proud of what we have done," he told BBC1's Breakfast With Frost.

"I think we did the right thing in removing Saddam Hussein. I think the world is a safer place.

"I don't think we have anything to apologise for as a country. I think our soldiers did an absolutely magnificent job. I think they are absolute heroes in what they have done."

His start to the conference could not have been worse; a flurry of opinion polls and newspaper surveys of MPs revealed a belief that the party would be better under Gordon Brown's leadership.

Despite the failure to find Iraq's deadly arsenal of chemical weapons and the revelations of the Hutton inquiry Blair said nothing had changed his original view.

"I believe as powerfully as I did at the time that making sure that that man is no longer in charge of Iraq is a good thing for his country, the region and the world," the prime minister said.

"We know perfectly well that he had those weapons and that he had those programmes," he said.

His comments came as Labour delegates arrived in Bournemouth for a potentially explosive Labour conference.

Following the war with Iraq and a looming rebellion over flagship public service reforms, the party leadership is expected to strike a consensual tone.

With the Hutton inquiry providing an uneasy backdrop to events, senior ministers hope they can win round rank-and-file members sceptical of policies such as top-up fees and foundation hospitals.

But unions have signalled that they are set to face down the leadership over plans which they believe will create a two-tier NHS.

They hope rebel MPs, the party's grassroots and the union bloc can be deployed in a bid to defeat the leadership this week.

Over 130 Labour MPs are said to be gearing up for a battle over the government's plans to allow universities to charge an additional £3,000 in top-up fees.

They have signalled that they are prepared to mount trench warfare during the coming session of parliament in a bid to defeat the move.

Ahead of the gathering ministers have sought to win over their critics - but stress they will not be deflected from making tough decisions.

Speaking to GMTV's Sunday programme Labour Party chairman Ian McCartney conceded that the government had badly presented its plans.

"What has happened though, lets be honest about this, as we've had our head down as a government, tackling these issues, what we've tended to do is forget to keep telling an effective story of why we're doing this and when we do say it sometimes we use language which is a language which isn't recognisable out there with the wider electorate or with the members," he said.

"If you want to explain for example a foundation hospital is about giving power to the local community to own its own local assets and the local healthcare workers having a real say on the direction of the services that they are providing.

"People will buy that but if you then cast it as some big new initiative around the administration and structure of an organisation the size of the NHS, then you tend to lose your drive, your vision, your passion for what you're trying to do."

And he signalled that the party's high command still believed rank-and-file members could prevent the leadership being given a bloody nose in crucial votes this week.

"There has been a growing tendency for constituencies to take their own view. That might happen this week. I'm not going to pre-judge this," he said.

"But one thing is absolutely certain, as more and more members get involved in Partnership Into Power, more and more they understand the arguments and debate and more and more they want to put their own view in it."

McCartney said Labour members were adopting a less ideological approach to issues such as PFI.

"Party members see it works and to be honest with you someone walking down a market street in Wigan isn't interested whether or not my new hospital is being built by a proportion of private money and a large proportion of public money," he said.

"All they want to know, they've voted for me to get a new hospital and they're getting it."

Labour's political opponents were quick to seize on the prime minister's difficulties.

Conservative shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram claimed Labour's conference had become a surrender to the party's left-wing.

"After years of disguise the Labour party has now lurched to the left as is shown by the reintroduction of the singing of the Red Flag at the Labour Party conference," he said.

"Unfortunately they haven't told Tony Blair who is now left dangerously isolated by his Party which has deserted the middle ground and returned to its roots of tax and spend and failure."