If your twitter feed is anything near the state of mine, you will be inundated with opinions and perspectives from hundreds of journalists and activists about the state of the Labour Party, and our failure to hold onto Copeland. Whilst that debate will be going on for months to come, I anticipate that Theresa May will be sitting in Number 10 pondering the impact for her own party.

An ‘unelected’ Prime Minister, whose party has a fragile majority but has just taken a seat from Labour that has been red for 80 years. A government that have been in power for nearly seven years, and have unleashed damaging and cruel policies on the vulnerable – and they are taking seats away from the Opposition.

The next General Election is scheduled for 2020, but the Fixed Term Parliament Act allows for a snap election to be called: either through a motion of no confidence, or through two thirds of the House passing a motion demanding one. Labour couldn’t vote against a motion to invoke a General Election – it would suggest that we have confidence in the Government. A snap General Election would be easy to do. If Theresa May wanted her own mandate and an overwhelming majority, she’d plan for that motion, call a General Election, and take herself to the country under the banner of delivering Brexit.

Governing parties should not be increasing their vote share – and Opposition parties should not be losing seats they have held for decades.

If Labour don’t step up and act, Theresa May will – and this country will elect the Conservatives for another five years.

Kerri Prince is a Young Fabian Member. Follow her on twitter at @_kerriprince