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We can blame the weather, the mainstream media and even the Tories. But the fact is the voters of Copeland didn’t trust Labour .

The reason why? We are our own worst divided enemy.

On one side you have the Parliamentary Labour Party – the MPs and peers who represent us.

On the other, a leader they never wanted. Some 172 Labour MPs backed a “no confidence” vote in Jeremy last summer, which led to a second leadership election in a year.

Then we had two by-elections caused by Labour MPs resigning to get “better” career jobs.

This was followed by a bitter ­dispute over Article 50 where ­Corbyn respected the will of the people despite a divided party.

Shadow ministers and some MPs, mostly in marginal seats that heavily voted to Remain, defied ­Jeremy to block Article 50, claiming they were doing it for their voters.

Then just before the by-elections, Tony Blair launched an attack on Corbyn over his handling of the EU Referendum and Article 50.

It reminds me of how Ted Heath’s application to join the Common Market split Labour in the 1970s. Then, 68 of our MPs backed Heath, whose proposal could not have been passed without them.

That not only split Labour, with many front bench resignations, it eventually led to Roy Jenkins’ Social Democratic Party – and 18 years of Tory rule.

Tony Blair dismissed Corbyn in a single sentence: “The debilitation of the Labour Party is the facilitator of Brexit.”

Peter Mandelson said he’s working “every single day” to oust Corbyn. I feel Europe, once again, is being used as a justification for splitting the Labour Party, putting all the blame on the existing leadership, and Blair wanting people “to rise up”.

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But there’s no getting away from it. Some people do have a problem with Corbyn. I heard it in Copeland. Not for the first time.

Jeremy’s people might say he’s a “different kind of leader”.

But the public still like traditional passionate ones. They want leaders who have the backing of their MPs.

And that’s the problem. I see it every week in Westminster. The disengagement from most MPs. Their fatalistic “let Jeremy get on with it” attitude.

While MPs won’t call for another leadership election, Mandelson and Blair are whipping up dissent to split Labour. Just like Roy Jenkins and David Owen did before they launched the SDP.

The cross-party Open Britain campaign that Blair, Mandelson and Osborne back looks like an SDP Mark 2. If Labour splits, we’ll ­permanently give the Tories the keys to Downing Street.

(Image: Getty)

And who’s to say Theresa May won’t try to make the most of her 18 per cent lead over Labour by calling a snap election?

That’s why Jeremy and his MPs must find common ground or we will crash to defeat in the local elections and the next General Election.

They should find policies they can agree to work on and campaign for them. Few people know what our policies are. Yes, they know we support the NHS. But that alone couldn’t help us win Copeland.

Twenty years ago, Labour came up with the pledge card. Five vows on how Labour would improve ­Britain, such as cutting class sizes and reducing NHS waiting lists.

The pledges were easy to understand and they were all delivered.

Corbyn and his MPs should have their own card of agreed policies to show to the public. They should also pledge to work together.

What better way than to see big hitters who opposed Corbyn return to the frontline and his front bench?

It’s vital the MPs and Corbyn find a better way to work and campaign together to convince the voters that we can be the next government.

If not, we’re set to lose countless other Copelands across the country at the next election.

And if that happens, the party – and the country – are finished.