Keir Starmer's right-hand man just revealed the date of the next general election

Keir Starmer's right hand man has revealed the Prime Minister's plans for the next general election. Darren Jones, a Cabinet Minister who is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, said Sir Keir planned to wait until 2029 before giving voters the chance to pass judgment on his Government. It means the likely date of the next poll would be either May or June 2029.

The Prime Minister plans to wait a full five years before holding the election, the longest period possible. Previous Labour Prime Ministers have sometimes waited only four years between elections. Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997, but held an election in 2001, just four years later. And then he went to the country again in 2005, four years after that.

Conservatives won a general election in 2015, but former Tory Prime Minister Theresa May called another election just two years later in 2017 - and Boris Johnson, also a former Conservative Prime Minister, held an election two years after that, in 2019.

Mr Jones insisted Labour could still win, even though mammoth opinion polls known as MRP polls showed Reform are in the lead.

Speaking at Labour's annual conference, he said: "MRPs are not asking the question, often, do you want Nigel Farage as Prime Minister? It's just voting intention by party if there was an election today."

He said: "People want change. We have promised that. We have been given a large majority to do it.

"People know it takes time. The next election for us is 2029.

"We have to move that sentiment in a positive direction by then, no question.

"But I absolutely don't believe that just based on people's concerns today, that we have lost the next election. It's not true. We can absolutely win the next election."

But he admitted that the Labour government had found it harder than expected to deliver on its promises, and he said the next eight months, including the November 26 Budget and next May's local elections, would be difficult for Labour.

"It's definitely going to be a challenging eight or nine months, there is no question about that ... the next eight months will be hard."

Mr Jones also revealed that Sir Keir plans to step up attacks on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who he compared to self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously accused Mr Farage of promoting "racist" policies.

Mr Jones said: "There is a more muscular approach to attacking Reform. We don't just want to be in a position where we are responding to the crazy things tey are saying. and also we should be under no illusion that we win tat argument by making a Labour argument not by making a Reform-style argument."

He said the Conservatives were "pretty busted at the moment", adding: "And so Reform are the real challengers."

Mr Jones said Reform had spoken about providing more chances to "white working class boys". He continued: "What are Reform offering? They literally have no offer to them whatsoever, apart from hate and division, othering and wanting to tear the system down."

He said Nigel Farage "wants to tear everything down".

Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby, who was interviewing Mr Jones, said: "He has a big following with big people, particularly young men. He's much more popular with them than you."

Mr Jones replied: "So does Andrew Tate, but that doesn't mean it's okay. And I put them in similar categories, quite frankly.

"They are snake oil salesmen that are misleading people and taking them down a dark path for them and for our country. We have to bring a light into that debate."

He said Labour will "step up into and win" a battle with Reform.

Earlier this week the Crown Prosecution Service said Andrew Tate will face no criminal charges over allegations made by four women who are suing him in a High Court civil case.

The women have accused the former professional kickboxer of sexual violence, including grabbing one by the throat on several occasions in 2015, assaulting her with a belt and pointing a gun at her face.

Mr Tate's barristers told an earlier court hearing that there was "total denial of wrongdoing".