British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has unveiled a series of reforms as part of a new legislative programme.
He put reform of schools, hospitals and the benefits system at the centre of the government's legislative programme in the next parliamentary session.
Setting out his draft proposals in the House of Commons this morning, the prime minister promised bills to raise school standards, entrench patients' rights and to help people on benefits back into work.
There will also be a Banking Bill to protect depositors in the event of future bank collapses, a legal requirement for new immigrants to learn English, and new rights for agency workers.
'Building a more prosperous Britain and a fairer Britain is the purpose of the draft legislative programme published today for debate in this House and the country,' he told MPs in a Commons statement.
Conservative leader David Cameron said he welcomed many of the measures, because they had been originally proposed by his party.
Bid to boost confidence
The programme is being seen as an attempt by the Labour leader to re-establish public confidence in his premiership.
Mr Brown's opinion poll ratings collapsed following poor local election results earlier this month and damaging revelations in a series of political memoirs.
His political allies are hoping this week will mark the beginning of a fight back after a disastrous few months.
Mr Brown faces the prospect of losing a by-election next week in what should be a safe Labour seat.
Memoirs by former prime minister's wife Cherie Blair and former deputy prime minister John Prescott have portrayed him in extremely unflattering terms.
Ms Blair accused Mr Brown of 'rattling the keys' over her husband's head when he suffered a crisis of confidence in April 2004 over his decision to take Britain to war with Iraq.
Mr Prescott said Mr Brown was 'frustrating, annoying, bewildering and prickly' and recommended to then prime minister Tony Blair to sack Mr Brown as finance minister.
Labour MPs have been raising doubts about his ability to lead the party into the next general election.
More voters now believe Mr Cameron could do a better job in Downing Street.
