Today’s court judgment is in some ways good for the Labour Party (providing it isn't overturned on appeal), as it will force the Government to explain what its plan is for leaving the EU beyond "Brexit means Brexit". Perhaps it will also delay leaving the EU, which can only be a good thing for the de-industrialised communities that many Labour MPs represent, many of which receive EU structural funding.

It’s likely that we will still leave the EU, as not many Labour MPs will have the chutzpah to outright block the referendum result, especially given the tone of the tabloid headlines over the last few months. However, we might yet stay in the single market – a move which would temper an outright recession and save working class Labour voters from further stagnating wages, unemployment and inflation.

But this judgment also very bad for Labour, because it will mean an election in spring 2017 is even more likely. Theresa May can argue that the will of the British people has been frustrated, and run on a slate of clarity and stability. At the moment, Labour is averaging mid-20s in the polls and the Tories are circling around the early 40s. So unless something unprecedented happens in the next 6 months, Labour will probably get its worst results for 80 years.

High court rules Brexit needs Parliamentary approval

These will be exacerbated by the fact that a lot of Labour MPs who voted Remain represent Leave constituencies (Ed Miliband is a prominent example). They'll be faced with the unpleasant choice of alienating their constituents in order to fight to stave off the worst excesses of Brexit. Knowing Labour MPs, this could lead to a lot of tedious triangulation that will probably cost a few of them their seats either way.

The scale of a Labour defeat does matter, because each MP has a certain amount of power to influence the Government. The fewer Labour MPs there are, the easier it is for the Government to do what it wants and push through the worst Brexit possible. It also means that Labour will have a bigger mountain to climb for the next general election.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit “One of Britain’s great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs” “This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the world’s leading international financial centre.” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: “You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael O’Leary Ryanair boss says UK will be ‘screwed’ by EU in Brexit trade deals: “I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that's what happens in trade talks,” he said. “They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade” Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: “We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: “I am absolutely serene about the … judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC” Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: “We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making” Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyd’s chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe” EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London ‘will suffer’ as result of the EU referendum: “I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much” What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and that’s happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been “less stormy than many expected” following the shock referendum result: “For now…the economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up – and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction” Getty

Perversely, this is a good judgment with possible bad long-term consequences for the Labour Party, and it wouldn’t be that surprising if in six months’ time, they start wishing it had been overturned on appeal – providing it isn’t.

Jeremy Corbyn’s response to the judgment, in which he makes no comment on whether the UK should invoke Article 50 or not but focuses on forcing the Government to define what Brexit actually means, is probably the right one. But the Labour Party has to start acting like it is in the fight of its life, and come up with a strategic plan to get its core voters out and to keep hold of as many seats as possible.

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This means engaging the thousands of new members, emphasising the urgency of the party’s circumstances, and ensuring resources are concentrated in marginal seats where it matters – instead of piling up activists in safe seats like Hackney North. Labour MPs need to put their grievances aside about their leader and actually work together to ensure the party’s polling improves.