STORY
Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard has resigned from the party’s frontbench and is reported to be seeking the replacement of Sir Ed Davey as leader. The Witney MP left his position as a Treasury spokesman on Friday and has reportedly asked parliamentary colleagues to support a vote of no confidence in Sir Ed.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said that the vast majority of the party’s MPs continued to support Sir Ed and were furious about the distraction. The resignation follows the departure of Alison Bennett from her frontbench position as spokeswoman for care and carers earlier in the week, although her decision is not understood to have been connected to the leadership dispute.
Under Liberal Democrat rules, a leadership contest can be triggered if a majority of the party’s MPs support a vote of no confidence. Sir Ed has led the party since 2020 and oversaw its strongest general election performance in 2024, but critics have questioned whether it has built sufficient political momentum since then. The party has also faced internal disagreement over issues including Sir Ed’s continued support for the state pension triple lock.