Brown outlines his own manifesto

Gordon Brown set out his vision for Labour's election campaign today amid claims he has been frozen out of the preparations.

The Chancellor stressed that he wanted better child care to be at the heart of the party's manifesto.

His decision to outline his views will fuel speculation that he feels excluded from the election planning process. It comes as Mr Brown begins a

national tour to consult parents-Brown calls

on child care provision, which has been interpreted by some MPs as an attempt to shore up his position. His role in election planning was undermined when his rival Alan Milburn was appointed Labour's "election supremo".

In an article in today's Guardian newspaper, Mr

on colleagues to put children at the centre of the manifesto. He says Labour's programme for the coming decade "should make clear" that the party's ambition is to give youngsters the best start in life.

Mr Brown's emphasis on childcare chimes with what is already expected from the manifesto. Ministers plan a big increase in state-backed childcare and dramatic extensions to paid maternity leave.

Mr Brown had a major role

in drawing up the 1997 and 2001 manifestos. One of his allies today claimed there had been a " deliberate attempt" to exclude the Chancellor.