Blair sets out key election themes

Tony Blair is due to set out the central themes of Labour's General Election campaign.

The blueprint will include national education and crime plans to drive forward sweeping reforms in both areas.

Mr Blair's speech comes after a shock announcement that if re-elected, Labour will assess whether Britain should join the euro within two years.

In the past Mr Blair has refused to speculate on the meaning of his party's slogan that Chancellor Gordon Brown's five economic tests for British membership of the single currency would be judged "early in the next parliament".

However, he surprised William Hague and MPs at Prime Minister's Question Time in the Commons on Wednesday. He told the Tory leader: "Early in the next Parliament means exactly what it says. Early in the next Parliament would, of course, be within two years."

Mr Blair intends to follow that announcement by outlining initiatives that will form the basis of Labour's second term in office.

Education Secretary David Blunkett will next week give details of the education plan, designed to set out a clear path for learning for youngsters "from 0 to 18" with particular focus on secondary schools.

And Mr Blair will spell out that secondary schools now need to go through the "step change" that primary schools have already gone through - with Mr Blunkett set to outline plans for each child to "have learning tailored to individual needs and abilities".

Mr Blair is also expected to signal that Home Secretary Jack Straw's national crime plan will look at the whole system of criminal justice. The plan will "set out ways of making courts more efficient, targeting hardcore criminals who are responsible for most crime, changes to sentencing laws and set out ideas on police reform".

However, most attention is expected to centre on the euro timetable announcement, regarded as another crucial plank of policy Labour needed to deal with before the election, expected on May 3.