Keir Starmer tells Labour frontbench to ready policies for spring election

Exclusive: Labour leader wants to finalise manifesto in February and move to campaign footing in anticipation of May vote

Keir Starmer has ordered his frontbench team to finalise their manifesto policies within weeks as Labour moves on to a campaign footing before what officials believe will be a spring election.

The Labour leader has told shadow ministers to have their policy proposals ready by mid-January in time for the manifesto to be completed by 8 February. He will also embark on a series of public question-and-answer sessions between January and March to highlight each of Labour's five missions, which he hopes will define the election.