Top Labour insider says Tories are 'busted' and Reform UK are the 'real challengers'

Labour has decided the Conservatives are "busted" and Nigel Farage's Reform UK are the "real challengers" now, according to one of the Prime Minister's closest allies. Sir Keir Starmer and his team will be taking a "more muscular" approach to taking on the new party which is first place in the polls, Darren Jones, the PM's Chief Secretary, revealed.

In a sign of what is to come, Mr Jones compared Mr Farage to Andrew Tate - the hugely controversial internet "influencer" who has caused international concern about his impact on young men.

Making it clear that Labour will be taking the gloves off as it tries to tackle Reform ahead of a major round of elections in May, he said: "I think there is a more muscular approach to tackling Reform. We don't just want to be in the position where we are responding to the crazy things they are saying."

Claiming the "Conservative party is pretty busted at the moment," he said: "There seems to be no path out for them and so Reform are the real challengers."

Mr Jones, who was previously Chief Secretary to the Treasury, grew up in a council flat and at the age of 38 is considered one of the rising stars in the Labour Government.

He said Reform had been "going on about white working class boys and how they are not achieving as much as they should do in the education system".

But he said: "What are Reform offering? I mean, they literally have no offer to them whatsoever apart from hate and division and 'othering' and wanting to tear the system down. We don't want people growing up, being led by Reform, thinking they should be hating Britain.

"Nigel Farage hates the BBC, hates the NHS, he hates the Government, he wants to pull everything down, tear everything down - that is not a positive vision for the future that young people can feel excited and aspirational about."

When it was pointed out that Mr Farage has a large following among young men, Mr Jones said: "So does Andrew Tate but that doesn't mean it's okay and I'd 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 their country. We have to bring the light into that and show the way towards a Britain renewed - that's the theme of this conference - where everybody gets the chance to succeed."

A Reform UK spokesman said: "The Labour Party's obsession with us is becoming almost unhinged. They have no arguments and no achievements they can point to, so instead they resort to lies and insults.

"Every attack on us is an attack on millions of Brits that support Reform."