Lib Dem MP quits frontbench job over Ed Davey's leadership
Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard has resigned from the party's frontbench and wants to see Sir Ed Davey replaced as leader.
Those close to Sir Ed privately acknowledge that there is what they see as a "small group" of Liberal Democrat MPs who are not happy with his leadership, of which Maynard is one.
Lib Dem MP and former leader Tim Farron also defended Sir Ed, saying under his leadership the party was in a position to match or even beat the "record numbers of MPs" the party won at the last election.
Julian Brazil, a Liberal Democrat council leader who has previously been critical of Sir Ed, said Maynard had "put his head above the parapet - we'll see if other people follow".
Brazil added that Sir Ed had been a "fantastic leader" but added: "For whatever reasons people aren't listening to Ed, they don't take notice of him, so we need to have a fresh start and be able to articulate what our vision of the country is.
Maynard was first elected to his Oxfordshire constituency in 2024, winning the traditionally Conservative seat, formerly held by David Cameron, with a majority of more than 4,000.
He is the second Lib Dem to leave the frontbench this week, following Alison Bennett's decision to resign her post of spokesperson for care and carers.
Under Liberal Democrat rules, a leadership contest can be triggered if a vote of no confidence in the leader is passed by the majority of all the party's MPs.
Sir Ed has been leader for six years and in the 2024 general election led the party to its biggest election success, winning 72 seats.
More recently, some Liberal Democrats have publicly attacked the leader for his stance on the triple lock - the mechanism which guarantees the state pension goes up each year in line with either inflation, wage increases, or 2.5% whichever is highest.
"This would mean people who are working hard now - the millennials - when they retire would have a very poor pension," he said.
Lib Dem MPs criticise Davey over pension triple lock responsePublished1 October
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- Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard has resigned from the party's frontbench and wants to see Sir Ed Davey replaced as leader.
- Those close to Sir Ed privately acknowledge that there is what they see as a "small group" of Liberal Democrat MPs who are not happy with his leadership, of which Maynard is one.
- Lib Dem MP and former leader Tim Farron also defended Sir Ed, saying under his leadership the party was in a position to match or even beat the "record numbers of MPs" the party won at the last election.
- Julian Brazil, a Liberal Democrat council leader who has previously been critical of Sir Ed, said Maynard had "put his head above the parapet - we'll see if other people follow".
- Brazil added that Sir Ed had been a "fantastic leader" but added: "For whatever reasons people aren't listening to Ed, they don't take notice of him, so we need to have a fresh start and be able to articulate what our vision of the country