Andy Burnham has admitted his much-hyped ten-year plan might not appear this year, as some question whether it will address benefits.
The PM acknowledged his long-term vision could slip into 2027 rather than being released imminently, as was anticipated.
Mr Burnham also dismissed briefing that the blueprint could be less ambitious than billed, and merely launch a series of consultations.
Speaking to the Economist after the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, the premier said: 'When the ten-year plan comes out later this year – people are underestimating the significance of this, there's been briefing around this week, and I just wanted to just drop this in with you, inaccurate briefing.
'This idea that it's going to be a one-year… no, I will lay out my very clear vision for Britain.
'And it will be substantial, and it will also be… compelling because I am weaving the different threads together, and I will do that.'
Andy Burnham acknowledged his long-term vision could slip into 2027, rather than being released imminently as anticipated
Mr Burnham suggested the end-of-year timescale for the plan's publication will not hold.
'We may go into the New Year, to be honest, there is that — December or January, I think we will need to leave that open, I don't think we've got a firm landing zone for it yet,' he said.
The 10-year plan has been used to explain why last week's Budget kicked a number of key issues down the road.
It could flesh out Mr Burnham's drive to devolve more power to local leaders across the UK, and to reform the social care system.
A spending review due in the second half of next year will need to spell out a path for defence budgets hitting 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
The Chancellor has also acknowledged there will have to be difficult choices on departmental spending, with think-tanks flagging that current plans seem to entail huge real-terms cuts in the coming years.
Mr Burnham's de facto deputy Louise Haigh refused to say whether the 10-year plan will include action on benefits when challenged in the Commons yesterday.
The Government's stance on welfare has been mired in confusion since John Healey seemed to commit in a post-Budget interview to the bill going down before the next election.
He then blamed the media and denied there was any timetable for cuts after an intervention by Downing Street.
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