Keir Starmer warns Labour faces ‘dirty and nasty’ General Election campaign

Labour is prepared for a "dirty and nasty" campaign ahead of next year's general election, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Sir Keir used a speech at the Progressive Britain Conference in central London to offer his vision for Labour in the aftermath of its local elections success, but also acknowledged that the party faced a hard road ahead if it is to take power after the next general election.

In a questions and answers session, he said: "I have always known it is going to get dirty and nasty. That is the nature of our politics. We can't complain. It isn't pleasant, but we have to get on with it."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer making his speech to the Progressive Britain conference at Congress House (Pic: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

But he said Labour should look forward to the challenge: "This is the bit where we get to talk about the future of the country, with hope."

The Labour leader was greeted with a standing ovation as he arrived on stage, where he delivered a speech that focused on the pitch his party needs to make to working class voters ahead of an expected election in 2024.

But he also stressed the scale of the challenge facing his party - if it can enter Government for the first time since 2010.

"We've been drifting away from working people for a long time - and that's unforgivable. That's why I say this project goes further and deeper than New Labour's rewriting of Clause Four.

"This is about rolling up our sleeves, changing our entire culture. It's our DNA.

The Labour leader also played down any prospect of his party embarking on a project of electoral reform if it takes power. The local elections success has prompted speculation in Westminster about the shape of the next government with some predicting that Labour could be forced into an alliance or a coalition with the Liberal Democrats - raising the prospect of the latter seeking changes to a more proportional model for elections.

Sir Keir said: "We're going to have priorities coming into government, clear priorities. They are going to be the missions and I'm afraid voting reform is not one of the priorities."