PM: We must not fail the middle class

Labour will fail its biggest challenge if middle-class families opt out of state schools and hospitals to go private, Tony Blair warned today.

He says that universal takeup of public services is central to his goal of making Britain more equal.

The Prime Minister's warning comes in an article for New Labour house journal Progress. It was written before controversy erupted over the decision by Labour MP Diane Abbott to send her son to a private school.

He writes: "If we are to pass the 'fairness test' in the future, we cannot afford for middle-income families to abandon public services in favour of private provision."

Mr Blair sent his three children to state schools, although he was criticised for choosing a selective school rather than a comprehensive.