\n<\/p>\n
Angus Taylor has resigned from shadow cabinet and is expected to challenge Sussan Ley for the Liberal leadership, declaring the party is in the \u201cworst position\u201d since its formation in 1944.<\/p>\n
Taylor announced Wednesday evening he was resigning from shadow cabinet, the first step in an expected bid to depose the party\u2019s first female leader after just nine months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe Sussan Ley<\/a> is in a position to be able to lead the party as it needs to be led,\u201d he said in an evening press conference.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we need right now is strong leadership, clear direction and a courageous focus on our values, and the first two priorities \u2026 should be protecting our way of life and restoring our standard of living.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n Other senior allies are expected to follow suit in quitting the frontbench, putting pressure on Ley to call a party room meeting for either Thursday or Friday to resolve the leadership.<\/p>\n Under party conventions, two or more Liberals MPs can request a special party room meeting to consider a motion to spill the leadership.<\/p>\n If a majority of MPs support the spill motion, a secret ballot then determines the leader.<\/p>\n The 59-year-old\u2019s announcement was widely expected after days of speculation<\/a> that the shadow defence minister would use a horror Newspoll and internal ructions from latest Coalition split as triggers to challenge Ley.<\/p>\n The moderate-aligned Ley defeated the conservative Taylor 29 votes to 25 to win the leadership after the 2025 election.<\/p>\n While the two camps are confident their candidate has majority support of the 51-member party room, both admit the numbers are tight.<\/p>\n Ley\u2019s leadership has been viewed as terminal after the Coalition split for the second time under her watch, with senior Liberals<\/a> believing her fate would be sealed as soon as Taylor and fellow rightwinger Andrew Hastie resolved which of them would run.<\/p>\n Hastie pulled out of the race on 30 January<\/a> after secret talks with rightwing powerbrokers in Melbourne, leaving the Hume MP with a clear run.<\/p>\n Ley negotiated a deal to reunite<\/a> the Coalition on Sunday but some MPs believed the concessions granted to the Nationals had damaged her credibility and shifted crucial voters to Taylor, even as he had lobbied for a reunion.<\/p>\n Taylor had refused to confirm his intentions and has continued to attend shadow cabinet and meetings of Ley\u2019s Liberal leadership team, including on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n Taylor made no mention of his immediate challenge at Wednesday\u2019s meeting, according to sources.<\/p>\n Conservatives and moderates grew increasingly frustrated over the course of Wednesday as Taylor delayed an announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the speculation is unhelpful because it\u2019s robbing us of oxygen to hold the government to account,\u201d Ben Small, a member of Taylor\u2019s right faction, told ABC\u2019s Afternoon Briefing.<\/p>\n