So, what next?

Certain commentators burble on about unity, which is just a complete refusal to face reality. If the driver is taking the bus over a cliff, the correct response is not for the passengers to cheer him on ever louder. We face electoral wipeout; unity ranks a long way behind basic competence in the list of things Labour needs right now. You might as well tell the party to cross their fingers.

Interestingly, those who preach unity seem to have very little to say about the prospect of deselections.

But the MPs now have a critical choice to make; do they fall back in line, or continue to oppose? I’d argue that neither are the best course of action.

Continued opposition will only lead to continued entrenchment. We may not agree with it, but many members are furious with the actions of the PLP, believing that poor performance is down to them.

Of course, extreme Corbynites will always blame someone else, but most Corbyn supporters are more reasonable. They see his failings, but they also think he hasn’t been given a fair chance. Many members feel that their views aren’t being respected, and the leadership and their cheerleaders play on this. As long as they have an opportunity to point the blame elsewhere, they will do so.

MPs can’t keep giving Corbyn an alibi for his failures. So, no more briefing, no more tweeting, no more criticism. Doing so only strengthens the leader, and drives a bigger wedge between MPs and members; much as Corbyn deserves opposition, it is massively counterproductive.

But also; MPs shouldn’t return to the Shadow Cabinet, for broadly the same reason. The PLP, more than most, understands that Corbyn is not a decent person, nor an effective leader. Sooner or later, collective responsibility will collapse. Who do you think the membership will hold responsible for that?

If members don’t like the fact that MPs won’t rejoin the Shadow Cabinet: tough. If the members vote for a leader who is not supported by 80% of his MPs, they will get a leader who is not supported by 80% of his MPs.

The principled thing is for those MPs to politely refuse to join the Shadow Cabinet, and we all know Corbynites love principles. Plus, consider an interviewer’s first question upon appointment; “so, do you have confidence in the leader..?”

MPs need to tread a careful line. They should offer full support on causes in which they are in agreement, such as grammar schools. They could try and drive change from the backbenches, as Stella Creasy and Caroline Flint have done. They can try and make a difference through parliamentary committees. And they should try and strengthen constituency links, which could prove very important protection against an impending electoral tsunami.

This isn’t a perfect plan. But then, there aren’t any perfect plans at this point. The only thing that matters is how quickly we can fix this. Making Jeremy Corbyn own his own leadership is the way to go. You want to lead without the support of MPs? Go ahead.