The last week in September saw the eighth Labour conference since taking office in 1997 The theme of much of the conference was "the Opportunity Society" and the ways in which people's lives have been changed in many ways over the last seven and a half years.

I was pleased to hear Tony Blair, in his speech to the conference, start talking about some of the ideas that will make up the manifesto for a third Labour Government. I was pleased because it is important that the Government doesn't seek a new mandate for the sake of it but continues to innovate and refresh its agenda.

Tony Blair set out ten ideas that will form the core of its manifesto at general Election that will probably take place next year. These ten ideas are:

* Widening the circle of opportunity by low mortgage rates, rising living standards and more jobs in every region of the UK.

* Giving the same commitment to quality vocational skills as we do academic education, with new vocational courses at school

* Providing every parent with the choice of a good specialist school but with no return to selection at 11.

* All patients able to choose their hospital, to book the time and date for treatment. Maximum waiting times down from eighteen months to eighteen weeks.

* More choice for mums at home and at work. Universal, affordable and flexible childcare for the parents of all 3-14 year-olds who want it from 8am in the morning to 6 at night ..

* Security and dignity for everyone in retirement with a pension system that has the basic state pension at its core; gives special help to the poorest and provides incentives to save for hard-working families whatever their wealth or income.

* Increasing by £1 billion the investment in science, boosting support to small businesses.

* Supporting low paid and public service workers with the guarantee of a decent income, a rising minimum wage, equal pay between men and women, four weeks paid holidays from now on plus bank holidays.

This seems to me a good set of principles on which to start the debate that will lead up to the next election. Ideas that I believe will be widely supported by the majority of people in Copeland and I am sure the building blocks for offering much more from this Labour Government in the years ahead.