The election results were disastrous for Labour and gave Keir Starmer the catalyst to reshuffle his Shadow Cabinet, ousting or demoting under-performers.
Anneliese Dodds was the obvious victim – the softly-spoken Scottish Shadow Chancellor suffered months of whisperings about her inability to land a blow on Rishi Sunak.
She was the highest profile casualty of tonight's shake-up – though “highest profile” is an odd description of Dodds when her biggest problem was that she couldn't raise her profile.
Angela Rayner faced down the party leader and was rewarded with a bigger job.
As party chief, Starmer has the power – and the right – to choose who he thinks should do which roles.
He is the figurehead but he also needs a top team he can trust to go on the TV and convey Labour's message, to hold to account their Tory counterparts and to sell Labour to the country as a Government-in-waiting.
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As the months wore on, it became clear that some Shadow Cabinet ministers were under-powered – and Labour insiders have been talking of an overhaul for many weeks, with the aftermath of Thursday's elections long pencilled-in for the necessary shake-up.
A reshuffle of his top team will trigger questions over Starmer's judgement, given he appointed relative unknowns to big jobs when he became leader.
But 13 months into his premiership, it was obvious some were not up to the task and needed to be shifted.
With an election possibly three years away, it is better to act decisively now than plod on with a B-team until it is too late and too close to polling day to wield the axe.
But, as Macbeth said: “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly.”
Tonight, 'twere not done quickly.
Being decisive, authoritative and ruthless are key attributes in a leader – and a potential Prime Minister.
As the hours dragged on, decent man Starmer discovered for himself the difficulties of juggling egos, agendas and ambitions at the heart of Labour.
