Labour should not be “cock-a-hoop” and assume the next election is “in the bag”, Angela Rayner has said.
The party’s Deputy Leader said there was a “completely different atmosphere” at its conference in Liverpool as members realise they could be on the verge of snatching power.
But urging caution, she told the Mirror: “You can't just expect the Tories to implode on themselves and then for people to say, ‘Well let’s give Labour a try’.
“We have got to give people an offer that proves that we've changed and how we're going to improve their lives.”
Ms Rayner said the mood at Labour conference is “optimistic about our real opportunity,” adding: “People feel the gravity of this is a real opportunity now for us to get into government.
‘People are talking about the next Labour government, in the last few years it has not been about that it has been about us.
"Now people are looking outward.”
But she warned the party had been ahead of the Tories before and then failed to win power, saying: “We saw it with Ed Miliband and the polls before that election [in 2015].”
She insisted “there is not any sort of cock-a-hoop” attitude in the Shadow Cabinet or belief “it’s in the bag”.
Ms Rayner said Liz Truss should “bring it on” and call a snap election.
“We do need something to change very quickly in this country, because otherwise I'm worried about what's going to happen,” she continued.
“We're already seeing the confidence in our markets fading away. We need to fix it and we need to fix it as quickly as possible. And we don't need any more damage.
“We need strong stable investment in the future of our country and a plan that people can have confidence in.
“Twelve years of economic stagnation and failure, 12 years of broken promises, sleaze and lies. Enough is enough.
"We've got to move on and I think the only way really we get that fresh start is by having a Labour Government.”
