Heed the lessons of Northcote and get back to "bread-and-butter" politics or face defeat at the next election.

That's the message key figures in the Labor Party are sending to Premier Daniel Andrews after the disastrous loss to the Greens of a seat the party held for 90 years.

Premier Daniel Andrews is under pressure to switch the government's focus to 'bread-and-butter' issues after Labor's disastrous defeat in Northcote. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Senior players in Labor's right now believe the Andrews government is in a battle for survival, with the Northcote byelection defeat seen by some in the party as a verdict on the ALP's performance in office.

The right also believes the shock felt by the party regarding the scale of the loss is an opportunity to advance their policy agenda.