Analysis By Nick Assinder Political Correspondent, BBC News website

Tony Blair started his eight-year premiership under the banner "education, education, education", and he clearly intends to finish it on the same note.

Prescott has led opposition to reforms

With the publication of the latest education white paper, he has shown he is ready to take on all comers - John Prescott, teaching unions and former ministers included - to complete his planned transformation of the country's schools.

Once again he is facing major opposition, including from his own benches, over proposals many claim are a return to Tory policies and which will increase divisions in education by favouring middle class families.

And, as his Tory opponents point out, it is hard to escape the feeling that, after eight years, there is a sudden sense of urgency about the prime minister's latest proposals.

The key is in the language he is using. Last month he told his party conference that, whenever he made a reform, he later wished he had gone further.

Now, speaking before the launch of the white paper, he talked about it marking "a pivotal moment in the life of this parliament and this government".

And he insisted the proposals would take his reforms to their "logical conclusion" and "complete the process of change".

Fierce opposition

In other words, this is the latest move in Tony Blair's campaign to finally carry out his much-heralded public sector reforms and secure his legacy before he stands down ahead of the next general election.

He knows he has little time left to re-write the history books that, at the moment, are likely to record him as the man who took Britain into the Iraq war and all that followed.

Blair spoke of more reform at conference

He wants future analysts to cast him as a radical, reforming, New Labour prime minister who irreversibly transformed Britain on a scale similar to that achieved by Margaret Thatcher.

But, thanks to his own resignation pre-announcement last year, he is rapidly running out of time to complete major reforms - particularly ones that are bound to run into fierce opposition in parliament.

His Tory critics, led by shadow education secretary and leadership contender David Cameron, broadly welcome his "choice" agenda, claiming it is a revival of their own system of grant maintained schools dumped by the prime minister.

But they are asking why it has taken eight years to get this far and why it is now being rushed.

Opening shots

Mr Blair's Labour and union critics claim he is going too far and risks destroying the comprehensive state education system - one of Labour's most cherished policies - in pursuit of what they claim is indeed a Conservative programme.

So far it looks like the prime minister is getting his way and that Mr Prescott and others have lost the day in cabinet.

But these are only the opening shots in what promises to be a long and bruising new battle between Mr Blair and many in his own party.

The prime minister must worry that, with his premiership in its terminal phase, his opponents will feel they have nothing to lose by accepting his challenge and fighting the reform all the way.

And he no longer has the unassailable Commons majority he had after the 1997 and 2001 elections. Defeat at the hands of backbench rebels is a real possibility.

Similarly, though, Mr Blair knows he does not have to fight another election and can concentrate all his efforts on securing his legacy.

And if "education, education, education" is to provide the prime minister with his political memorial, he simply cannot afford to lose this one.