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Keir Starmer is being warned by close aides to brace for Boris Johnson to call an election as early as next year - as shadow ministers warn they 'wouldn't bet' on him winning.
The Labour leader's advisers believe that the PM could choose to call a poll even earlier than many expect, before tax rises and soaring inflation bite.
And nervous moderates are already urging Sir Keir to cling on if he falls short, with one shadow cabinet minister telling MailOnline they 'wouldn't put much money' on him winning.
Mr Johnson is taking back discretion over the timing of the next election with the fixed-term parliaments law being scrapped.
That could open the door to an earlier vote, with Labour frontbenchers pointing to the fact that planned tax hikes are heavily back-loaded.
Keir Starmer's advisers believe that the PM could choose to call a poll even earlier than many expect, before tax rises and inflation bite. The Labour leader is pictured at conference today
Boris Johnson is now neck-and-neck with Keir Starmer on 38 per cent on preference for premier - the first time a Labour leader has been on an even footing with a Tory since 2008
A senior shadow minister said that some of the party's most senior strategists were convinced a poll could happen next year - meaning being on a war footing from the end of this conference.
They warned that Sir Keir is facing an almost impossible struggle to overturn the Tories' 80-strong majority at the next election.
Asked what the chances were of Labour winning, the frontbencher said: 'If I was a gambler I wouldn't put much money on it.'
But they insisted it is crucial that even if Sir Keir loses, he should not step down as long as progress was made. 'It was a disaster when Ed Miliband quit (in 2015),' the senior figure said.
'Everyone started taking the same positions they had before
